Golden Frikadeller with Agurkesalat (Danish Pickled Cucumber)

⏱ 60 min · Serves 4

Soft, buttery Danish pork-and-veal meatballs, fried until deeply golden and served with sharp, sweet-sour cucumber ribbons. It's the taste of a Copenhagen kitchen on a Tuesday night — humble, comforting and quietly perfect with boiled new potatoes.

Per serving: 712 kcal · 42.0g protein · 58.0g carbs · 34.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 large cucumber, sliced paper-thin
• 100ml white wine vinegar
• 75g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• 1 tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp cracked white pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• 400g minced pork
• 200g minced veal (or extra pork)
• 1 small onion, finely grated
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 100ml whole milk or sparkling water
• 1 tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• Black pepper
• 40g butter
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 800g new potatoes, to serve
• Extra dill, to garnish

Method

1. Make the agurkesalat first: layer the cucumber slices in a bowl with the 1 tsp salt, toss and leave 15 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid gently.
2. Warm the vinegar, sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, cool slightly, then pour over the cucumber with the white pepper and dill. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. For the frikadeller, put the pork, veal, grated onion, egg, flour, salt, allspice, nutmeg and plenty of black pepper in a bowl. Beat hard with a wooden spoon for 3–4 minutes until sticky and pale.
4. Beat in the milk a splash at a time until the mixture is soft but holds its shape. Rest in the fridge 20 minutes.
5. Boil the new potatoes in salted water until tender, about 18 minutes.
6. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Using a wet spoon and wet hand, shape oval patties and slide them into the pan.
7. Fry 5–6 minutes per side, basting with the foaming butter, until deep golden and cooked through (74°C inside). Work in two batches so the pan stays hot.
8. Serve the frikadeller hot with the potatoes, a generous heap of drained pickled cucumber and a scatter of dill.