Frikadelle
A Frikadelle is a rounded, flat-bottomed, pan-fried meatball of ground meat, often likened to the German version of meatballs. The origin of the dish is unknown. The term Frikadelle is German but the dish is associated with German, Nordic and Polish cuisines. They are one of the most popular meals in Poland, where they are known as kotlety mielone or regionally sznycle.
There are various local variants of frikadelle throughout Scandinavia, as both a main course and a side dish. In Sweden, the word frikadeller refers to meatballs that are boiled, not pan-fried.
Etymology
The origin of the word is uncertain. According to the Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, the noun Frikadelle can be found at the end of the 17th century in German, and is related to the French noun fricandeau, and the Latin verb frīgere.The name of the dish in German is famously variable, with at least 16 recorded regional variants including Boulette/Bulette, Bratklops, Fleischpflanzerl, Fleischlaberl, Fleischküchle and /Grillette as well as the Austrian . It may be derived from fricandeau de veau, a dish of sliced veal, larded with pork fat. In the Dictionnaire des dictionnaires fricadelle is defined as, "In Belgium, a ball of ground, cooked meat" and a separate word, fricadèle, is defined as fricandeau. And in Phillips's New World of Words it is defined as "Fricandoe, a sort of Scotch Collops made of thin slices of Veal, well larded and stuff'd." The Oxford English Dictionary defines fricandele as a "quasi-French form of fricandeau".
Other variations
Denmark
In Denmark, traditionally, they are made from a blend of two meats, typically ground veal, pork, or beef. The meat is added to chopped onions, eggs, milk, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. They are then formed into balls by using a tablespoon to get the right size frikadelle and flattened somewhat. They are then pan-fried in pork fat or beef fat, or more commonly in modern times in butter, margarine or even vegetable oil.As a main dish, they are most often served with boiled white potatoes and brown sauce accompanied by pickled beetroot or cooked red cabbage. Alternatively, they can be served with creamed, white cabbage. Frikadeller are also eaten on rugbrød with red cabbage or pickle slices as a traditional Danish smørrebrød. The combination of frikadeller and a cold potato salad is very popular at picnics or potlucks, due to the ease of transporting either component after cooking.
Another popular variation is fiskefrikadeller, which replaces the meat in the recipe with fish. The fiskefrikadeller are typically prepared with cod, though may sometimes include salmon as well, and are often served with remoulade.