Traditional Norwegian Meatballs (Kjottkaker) Recipe | Wanderzest (2024)

FAQs

What is Kjottkaker made of? ›

So what makes a kjøttkake? In Norway, they are traditionally made from minced cattle, pork, lamb, or game meat, and shaped into thick, flat patties and fried. The dish is served with delicious brun saus (brown gravy). Kjøttkaker are usually served with boiled potatoes and carrots, and sauerkraut or mashed peas.

Norwegian recipes are made with all beef, while some Swedish recipes also use pork. Norwegian meatballs tend to be larger and flatter than their Swedish cousins.

If you like to do OAMC cooking, these freeze beautifully, in fact, I never make less than 100 meatballs at a time, lightly brown them, then flash freeze to finish later. The traditional recipe calls for a mix of beef, pork, and veal- if you object to veal, they work equally well with an even mix of beef and pork.

Baking soda acts as a meat tenderizer by changing the physical composition of meat fibers. It raises the pH levels on the surface and makes it tougher (pun intended) for the proteins in the meat to bond.

Throughout coastal Cajun country, home cooks have engineered seafood into many unique dishes, and boulettes are one of the more popular. Fish, crab, crawfish, and most especially shrimp are pulverized, mixed, rolled, breaded, and fried to golden brown delicious.

An extremely common breakfast dish you'll more than likely come across throughout your Norwegian cruise is laks og eggerøre, or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

The Seasoning

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

These meatballs tend to be a bit smaller in size and are more savory than their Italian counterpart. They are seasoned with aromatic allspice that balances out the rich flavor of the white, gravy-like sauce they're served in.

Whisk together stock, cream, flour, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary in a large saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in thawed meatballs, and continue cooking until meatballs are heated through, about 5 more minutes.

No, they're basically the same things, with a different sauce. Italian meatballs are flavored with garlic and parmesan cheese, Swedish with onion and nutmeg. The first gets tomato sauce, the latter beef gravy. Just choose the one you prefer, they're both tasty.

What does adding milk to meatballs do? ›

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

Transfer the meat to a zip-top bag, stainless steel or glass bowl, or other non-reactive container, and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to overnight. Remove the meat from the container and briefly rinse the meat in plain water to strip off the baking soda solution (or as much of it as possible). Cook as desired.

Less than a teaspoon of baking soda ensures that your steak remains juicy and tender—even after a speedy marinade. While other recipes demand hours of marinating, this baking soda hack makes a flank steak or any other fibrous cut of beef ready to sear after just an hour.

If you're wondering what's so special about Swedish Meatballs, or what they taste like, close your eyes and imagine this: incredibly soft meatballs, made extra juicy by using a combination of both pork and beef and soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs, lightly spiced with just a touch of nutmeg and all spice that gives ...

Swedish meatballs are slightly smaller than traditional meatballs — think the size of a golf ball — so that they can be easily picked up by a toothpick and popped into your mouth. As for the sauce, Swedish meatballs are cooked in a rich, creamy gravy that is most often created from bone broth and cream.

Norwegian and Swedish cuisines have a lot in common, as both countries are located in the north of Europe and have access to abundant fish products. Both cuisines use traditional ingredients such as potatoes, berries, and meat, and are noted for their simplicity and natural flavors.