Yeah, that was the only food related quote I could find in Hamlet. In fact it might be the only food reference in the whole play. Why Hamlet? Because we're in Denmark of course! And Hamlet is the first thing I think about whenever someone mentions Denmark. Yes, that's what college did for me.
Anyway there will be no funeral baked meats in this week's meal. Our menu looks like this:
First a little bit about our host nation:
Besides being the ancestral home of Hamlet, prince of the Danes, Denmark is also the place where the Vikings originated—which means of course that it has a long and noble history of bad-assery, extending even beyond crazy avunculicidal princes. Today's descendants of those noble bad-asses are the happiest people in the European Union (according to a 2007 Cambridge University study) and the second happiest people in the world (according to the World Database of Happiness). This might have something to do with the fact that Denmark has the lowest income inequality in the world and is also the world's most democratic and least corrupted nation. That's right, it is more democratic and less corrupted than the good ole US of A.
Some fun facts about Denmark: its flag is the oldest in the world, adopted in 1219 and still in use today. It has had 14 Nobel laureates, it is the home of the world's oldest operating amusement park (which first opened way back in the 16th century) and it is also the home of Lego, everyone's favorite building toy.
Amagertorv Square, Copenhagen Denmark. Photo Credit: Jim Nix / Nomadic Pursuits via Compfight cc |
Now about the food. Shakespeare was on to something when he talked about meat in Denmark, because as far as Danish cuisine goes it is all about the meat. In fact at just under 322 lbs of meat per person per year, Danes eat more meat than anyone else in the entire world. This is actually quite surprising when you consider that obesity rates in Denmark are pretty low, especially compared to other European nations.
So here's what I finally chose, in place of the roast goose that I couldn't afford to cook:
Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
This recipe comes from Favorite Family Recipes, a blog run by sisters Erica, Emily, Elise and Echo Walker. This recipe was originally posted by Erica, whose husband once lived in Denmark. By the way, the Walker sisters just came out with a cookbook (also called Favorite Family Recipes), which you can purchase on Amazon.com.
Here's the recipe:
For the meatballs:
- 3/4 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 large onion, grated
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup half and half or milk
- Butter
- 3/4 - 2 tbsp drippings from the meatballs
- Butter (if needed)
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup heavy cream or full fat milk
- 1 tbsp powdered beef bouillon
- Salt and pepper to taste
This one comes from Christian's Danish Recipes:
Rødkål (Red Cabbage)
- 1 medium red cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup vinegar, lemon juice or pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup currant jelly (optional)
Brunede Kartoffler (Caramelised Potatoes)
- 20 oz small potatoes
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup white sugar
Æblekage (Danish Apple Pudding)
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1 lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 egg white
Now add the the rest of the ingredients and mix gently with your hands until well-incorporated. (Note: I left out the sage. Martin can't stand it, and I've seen other frikadeller recipes that didn't call for it, so I felt like I could leave it out without killing the authenticity.)
Next, add the half and half but do it slowly. You may not need the full half cup. Unlike Italian meatballs, you want your mixture to be a little sticky. You won't actually be rolling these into balls so the texture should be wet.
When the meatballs are finished, remove them to a plate and keep warm. Now add the flour to the pan (if there isn't a lot of oil left, you can add some more butter). Stir until you get a roux. Add the cream and whisk until you get a nice thick gravy. Finish with the beef bouillon, salt and pepper.
Now for the potatoes:
Make sure you get the smallest potatoes you can find. It's better to have bite-sized baby potatoes than bigger ones that you have to cut into pieces.
First boil the potatoes until they are just done. You want them to be firm, not mushy. Set them aside and let them cool a little. When they are cool enough to handle, pull the peels off with your fingers (they should come off pretty easily).
Put the breadcrumbs in a pan with the sugar. Turn the heat on to low. Stirring continuously, cook until the mixture is a dark gold color.
Mix the apples with the honey, lemon zest and juice. Transfer to a pan and cook on low heat until the apples are soft. Now smash them up with a potato masher until you get applesauce.
OK now divide half of the apples between four small bowls (or use glasses, like I did, which will make for a nicer presentation). Now divide half of the breadcrumbs between the bowls/glasses, and then repeat. Top with the nuts.
This was a nice, hearty meal that was good for a cold night. The meatballs were very similar to Swedish meatballs (I think the pork might be the primary difference) and they tasted great with the gravy, which was quite basic but suited them very well. Martin and I liked the cabbage, though it was a little overwhelming (as that sort of sauerkraut-ish kind of dish usually is). The kids were horrified by it, even Dylan who claims to like sauerkraut. I loved the potatoes, but you know, caramelized sugar + potatoes = what's not to love? The kids liked them too, once they got over the initial shock of eating sugary potatoes.
So yeah, probably not the meal that Hamlet's doomed mother ate at her wedding feast, but tasty. Have you ever eaten Danish meatballs? What did you think?
Next week: The Democratic Republic of the Congo
For printable versions of this week's recipes:
- Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
- Rødkål (Red Cabbage)
- Brunede Kartoffler (Caramelised Potatoes)
- Æblekage (Danish Apple Pudding)
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