Article

2006-10-11 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Zenster 2006-10-11 03:21|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Frikadeller
Danish Meatballs

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes

Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

½ Pound Ground Beef or Veal
½ Pound Ground Pork
1 Medium Yellow Onion (pulp)
3 TSP White Flour
½ - 1 Cup Milk
1-2 Eggs
1 TSP Salt
½ TSPGround black pepper

1 Stick Butter (for frying)

Optional:

The traditional version of this recipe is made with beef, pork and veal.

Preparation:

Be sure to get the finest grind of meat possible. Ask your butcher to help run it through with the finest plate a couple of times. Store bought ground meat will work but the texture will be slightly more coarse. If you are using a home machine (Kitchen Aid), add the onion while grinding the meats together.

If you have not ground the onion with the meat, grate the entire onion into pulp, there should be no large bits left. Mix the meat and onion together and stir in the flour. In a separate small bowl, add salt and pepper to the eggs and beat well. Combine the egg mixture with the meat and proceed to mix well. You want to aerate the mix to get fluffy and light meatballs. Avoid overworking the mixture as it beats all of the air out of it.

Preheat a large skillet with half of the butter in it. Use two tablespoons that have been dipped in lukewarm water. Scoop out a heaping spoonful of the meat and shape into a small golf ball sized oblong with the spoons. Drop the meatball into the pan and repeat. Dip the spoons into the water again to avoid the meat mixture sticking to them. Again, avoid overworking or compressing the meat while shaping it. One by one, drop the meatballs into the hot pan and fry until well browned on one side. If the pan is dry, add more butter when turning the meatballs. Continue until they are browned on all sides. Remove the finished frikadeller from the pan and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately or keep warm in oven until ready.

Note: In a separate pan, slowly caramelize some onion rings to serve with the frikadeller. They should be nicely caramelized when done. A side of mashed potatoes, some rich brown gravy and Rødkaal (red cabbage) makes this into Danish soul food.

To make the caramelized onions, cut yellow or white onions into medium thick rings and warm them in a pan with some butter or oil. Warm them over medium to low heat. They should not show signs of vigorous cooking. It will take at least half an hour to get them nice and brown. They will take on a dramatically sweet flavor that accents meats and other fine dishes.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-10-11 23:33|| 2006-10-11 23:33|| Front Page Top

#2 Mashed Potatoes
Classic Side Dish

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

5-10 Peeled Russett potatoes
1/2-1 Cup Milk or Half and Half
1 Stick Butter
½ -1 TSP Salt (or more)
¼ TSP Ground White Pepper
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of onion powder

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Peel the potatoes and cut into large pieces if a shortened cooking time is required. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cover tightly. Be careful not to overcook the potatoes. They should still be slightly firm and not shedding or flaking. (Overcooking the potatoes causes dense textured spuds.) Properly cooked potatoes will just barely slide off of the fork when speared. Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the salt, spices and half of the butter and milk. Mash thoroughly without overworking the mix. The potatoes should still be fluffy. Adjust salt, milk and butter to taste as you work the spuds. You should not be able to taste the onion or garlic powders.

Note: To avoid overcooking the potatoes, allocate some extra time to prepare them and once the pot is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low or low. This lengthens the cooking time and gives you more chances to catch them when they are at the perfect texture.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-10-11 23:35|| 2006-10-11 23:35|| Front Page Top

#3 Don't forget the bacon bits. It wouldn't be ramadan without it.

Posted by ed 2006-10-11 23:39|| 2006-10-11 23:39|| Front Page Top

#4 Brown Gravy
Danish Meatball Sauce

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

Makes: Three Cups

Ingredients:

1 Quart Beef Stock (or 2 each 14.5 oz. Cans)
2-3 TBS Roux (see notes)
½ -1 TSP Salt
½ TSP Onion Powder
¼ TSP Garlic Powder
¼ TSP Worcestershire Sauce
¼ TSP Fine Ground Black Pepper
¼ TSP Mad Kulor (Danish caramel food coloring see notes)
Dash Crystal Hot Sauce

Preparation:

Before making the roux, bring the stock to a slow simmer and begin reducing its volume by almost half. This concentrates the broth and gives it a deep flavor. Make the roux according to the notes below.

Once the roux has cooled and rested, add one tablespoon of the warm stock to the roux and begin tempering the paste. Adding too much hot broth all at once will cause lumping. The hot stock scalds the flour mixture and begins to form pudding instead of gravy. Add another tablespoon and continue thinning the roux. Begin to increase the amount of stock added until the paste has thinned completely and there is no danger of clumping.

With the heat at low, add this thinned roux to the gravy and stir constantly. Increase the heat and continue stirring all the while. Once the gravy begins to thicken, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to reach a full simmer.

At this time, deglaze the pan that the frikadeller were fried in. Use a few tablespoons of water or reduced broth. For a coarse country-style gravy, add all of the crusty bits from the pan. For a more smooth and elegant sauce, strain them off with a sieve. Add the deglazed liquid to the gravy and continue stirring.

In order for the roux to thicken the sauce, it must be allowed to reach a boil. Once the mixture is bubbling nicely, reduce the heat. Do not worry if the gravy still appears a bit thin, it will thicken well once it cools slightly. Add your spices and all other ingredients. Taste for flavor and adjust as needed.

Notes: Roux is a thickening agent made from flour and butter or other fats. It is the secret to the very finest gravies, stews, sauces and certain soups. Roux is easy to make and has an exceptional shelf life if stored in your refrigerator.

In a small saucepan, combine equal parts of regular white flour and butter. Slowly melt the butter with the flour over low heat and, once it is liquid, begin stirring in the flour. They should combine without forming lumps and begin to make a smooth paste. Once the paste starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low and continue stirring every few minutes. Tilt the pan and make sure that the mixture is not runny. Add more butter or flour as needed to make a slow moving paste.

The roux will begin to turn brown and take on a nut-like aroma. Once it is a nice tan color, turn off the heat and allow it to rest for at least ten to fifteen minutes. This is critical for obtaining the proper texture. During this time the granules of flour soften and bloom which is what gives sauces made with roux their special texture.

The closest product approximating the Danish Mad Kulor (Food Color), is Kitchen Bouquet. I do not recommend using this preparation because it contains many other spices and flavors that lend inappropriate notes to the sauce. It is well worth ordering the Danish product. One bottle is essentially a lifetime supply and only costs a few dollars.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-10-11 23:42|| 2006-10-11 23:42|| Front Page Top

#5 The above three recipes represent a triumvirate of Danish cusine. Some red or green cabbage on the side and you have Viking soul food. This is a dish which, literally, I cannot stop eating. The flavors are rich, satisfying and the closest you can get to stopping over in Copenhagen for dinner.

These are very close to how my Copenhagen born grandmother made them and I am proud to share them with everyone here at Rantburg. I cannot urge you strongly enough to order the special caramel coloring. It has an infinite shelf life and will act as a superior browning agent for everything from gravies to beef jerky.

I hope that you will try this recipe and share it with your loved ones. One taste of this food evokes a flood of childhood memories and once more, I am sitting in my grandmother's kitchen so many years ago. The frikadeller reheat splendidly and make great sandwiches as well.

Enjoy!

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-10-11 23:52|| 2006-10-11 23:52|| Front Page Top

#6 Don't forget the bacon bits. It wouldn't be ramadan without it.

Fear not, ed, there's pork in the meatballs.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-10-11 23:53|| 2006-10-11 23:53|| Front Page Top

23:59 Tony (UK)
23:57 bombay
23:57 .com
23:56 .com
23:53 Frank G
23:53 Zenster
23:52 Zenster
23:51 Tony (UK)
23:44 .com
23:42 Zenster
23:39 ed
23:35 Zenster
23:34 ed
23:33 Zenster
23:31 ed
23:27 trailing wife
23:24 .com
23:20 trailing wife
23:19 ed
23:06 ed
22:57 Old Patriot
22:51 Old Patriot
22:50 moonbat
22:46 FOTSGreg