Frikadellen

Frikadellen mit Schafskäsefüllung, Kartoffelbrei, jungen Erbsen und Möhren

Or rissoles filled with feta, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots. Somehow it sounds a lot more inviting in German! Even though it's the closest translation, I am actually loath to refer to these delicious meat-and-feta-patties-of-deliciousness as "rissoles". The word "rissole" always makes me think of those burnt and tasteless balls of meat that we would eat on school camp. Despite being an Aussie staple, rissoles were never something I ate at home - I think it's more an Anglo-Aussie food?

The similar-yet-different Frikadellen are a staple of German home cooking (Heidi Klum even made them on the Ellen show once!), and never having eaten them before, I thought that they would taste, well, like rissoles.

When Sandra suggested we make Frikadellen for our post-Christmas BBQ spectacular, I can't say I was too keen. However, we did have a good deal of mince in the freezer, and I wasn't up for making anything else from scratch, so I gave them a go.

I followed the recipe for Frikadellen mit Schafskäsefüllung in my new Dr. Oetker Schul Koch Buch. This book (which I got for Christmas), is seriously awesome. It's like a German version of Cookery the Australian Way, with heaps of basic recipes. You may remember we made them with lamb mince and stuffed them with cubes of feta, and oh my GOD they were good!!! They were juicy and tasty and crunchy - way better than rissoles or normal burgers. The recipe includes a bread roll, which you soak in cold water before adding to the mince. This makes the finished Frikadellen juicy and bouncy.

After the BBQ I was totally craving them all week. I made them again for dinner a few days later, this time served with carrots, peas, mashed potato, and sauteéd onions.

The recipe for the Frikadellen is posted below (with step-by-step pictures - get excited people). The onions were simply sliced and cooked slowly in butter until soft and melty, and the carrots and peas were cooked according to a basic recipe in the book. You sauteé the peas and chopped carrots in a little butter, add a splash of vegetable stock, cover and cook for 5 minutes. To serve, you sprinkle with some parsley, salt and pepper. Ta-dah!

It was such a delicious dinner, and I can see myself making Frikadellen again and again.



Frikadellen mit Schafskäsefüllung
From Dr Oetker's Schul Koch Buch, translated by me

1 day-old bread roll or 1 large slice of stale bread
2 onions
1 chilli
2 springs fresh oregano
600g minced lamb
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Sweet Paprika
100g feta, cut into 1cm cubes
Oil for frying

Soak the bread roll in cold water. Peel the onions and finely chop. Finely chop the chilli. Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan, add the onions and chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent. Set aside in a bowl and leave to cool.

To the onions, add the oregano, lamb, egg and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess water from the bread roll and add it to the lamb. Mix it all together with your hands. Yes, it feels gross, but persevere because the finished product is really yum! (I can imagine Nigella squelching the mixture together and saying "ooh lovely", but it sure doesn't feel lovely when you do it yourself!)


Form the meat into patties, and stuff each patty with one cube of feta. Try and make sure that the feta is completely enclosed by the meat.


Place the raw Frikadellen in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to firm up.


Fry the balls in hot oil for about 4 minutes a side, or until cooked.


While you are frying the remainder of the mixture, leave any cooked Frikadellen on a rack over paper towels. This will stop them going soggy!

Frikadellen mit Schafskäsefüllung, Kartoffelbrei, jungen Erbsen und Möhren

Or rissoles filled with feta, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots. Somehow it sounds a lot more inviting in German! Even though it's the closest translation, I am actually loath to refer to these delicious meat-and-feta-patties-of-deliciousness as "rissoles". The word "rissole" always makes me think of those burnt and tasteless balls of meat that we would eat on school camp. Despite being an Aussie staple, rissoles were never something I ate at home - I think it's more an Anglo-Aussie food?

The similar-yet-different Frikadellen are a staple of German home cooking (Heidi Klum even made them on the Ellen show once!), and never having eaten them before, I thought that they would taste, well, like rissoles.

When Sandra suggested we make Frikadellen for our post-Christmas BBQ spectacular, I can't say I was too keen. However, we did have a good deal of mince in the freezer, and I wasn't up for making anything else from scratch, so I gave them a go.

I followed the recipe for Frikadellen mit Schafskäsefüllung in my new Dr. Oetker Schul Koch Buch. This book (which I got for Christmas), is seriously awesome. It's like a German version of Cookery the Australian Way, with heaps of basic recipes. You may remember we made them with lamb mince and stuffed them with cubes of feta, and oh my GOD they were good!!! They were juicy and tasty and crunchy - way better than rissoles or normal burgers. The recipe includes a bread roll, which you soak in cold water before adding to the mince. This makes the finished Frikadellen juicy and bouncy.

After the BBQ I was totally craving them all week. I made them again for dinner a few days later, this time served with carrots, peas, mashed potato, and sauteéd onions.

The recipe for the Frikadellen is posted below (with step-by-step pictures - get excited people). The onions were simply sliced and cooked slowly in butter until soft and melty, and the carrots and peas were cooked according to a basic recipe in the book. You sauteé the peas and chopped carrots in a little butter, add a splash of vegetable stock, cover and cook for 5 minutes. To serve, you sprinkle with some parsley, salt and pepper. Ta-dah!

It was such a delicious dinner, and I can see myself making Frikadellen again and again.



Frikadellen mit Schafskäsefüllung
From Dr Oetker's Schul Koch Buch, translated by me

1 day-old bread roll or 1 large slice of stale bread
2 onions
1 chilli
2 springs fresh oregano
600g minced lamb
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Sweet Paprika
100g feta, cut into 1cm cubes
Oil for frying

Soak the bread roll in cold water. Peel the onions and finely chop. Finely chop the chilli. Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan, add the onions and chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent. Set aside in a bowl and leave to cool.

To the onions, add the oregano, lamb, egg and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess water from the bread roll and add it to the lamb. Mix it all together with your hands. Yes, it feels gross, but persevere because the finished product is really yum! (I can imagine Nigella squelching the mixture together and saying "ooh lovely", but it sure doesn't feel lovely when you do it yourself!)


Form the meat into patties, and stuff each patty with one cube of feta. Try and make sure that the feta is completely enclosed by the meat.


Place the raw Frikadellen in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to firm up.


Fry the balls in hot oil for about 4 minutes a side, or until cooked.


While you are frying the remainder of the mixture, leave any cooked Frikadellen on a rack over paper towels. This will stop them going soggy!