Found: frikadeller and Gondola-like pizza

Connie McLeod had written that she had eaten frikadellen on a cruise and was looking for a recipe. Readers replied with recipes for frikadeller, which are Danish meat balls. Martha Epstein sent in a recipe she got from a Danish cookbook she bought while living in Denmark, and it is reprinted below. She notes that the meat must be very well ground. Thanks also to Shirley Lojstrup, Elsebeth Hansen-Kriening and Otto Christensen of Arbourg for sharing their recipes.

Jay Myshkowsky of Vancouver was missing Winnipeg and its pizza, and asked if anyone had the recipe for Gondola's thin crust pizza and sauce. Thanks to Len St. Marie, Joan Cymbalisty, Laraine Parkes and Mary Lou Hodge.

Heather Leonoff would like a recipe for the butterscotch tarts that her mom used to buy from the Eaton's bakery. She recalls that the filling was the same consistency as lemon meringue pie.

Barb Saindon would like a recipe that is like Costco's carrot cake and icing, and Marg Hazelwood is looking for a carrot cake made with butter, not oil.

If you can help with a recipe request, have your own request, or a favourite recipe you'd like to share, send an e-mail to recipeswap@freepress.mb.ca, fax 697 7412, or write to Recipe Swap, c/o Darlene Henderson, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Please include your first and last name, address and telephone number. (Please note that your submission may not appear right away, due to space limitations.)

Frikadeller (Danish meat balls)

225 g (1/2 lb) veal or beef

225 g (1/2 lb) pork

1 medium onion

45 ml (3 tbsp) flour or sifted bread crumbs

250 ml (1/2 pint) soda water or milk

1 egg, well beaten

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

2 ml (1/2 tsp) pepper

90 ml (3 oz) butter

There are as many ways of making frikadeller as there are cooks in Denmark. They should be light, and one of the secrets of lightness is to use soda water in the mixture. They can be made entirely out of one kind of meat if desired. Frikadeller made with milk and bread crumbs are not as light but are easier to handle.

Run meats and onion twice through the electric meat grinder or 4 times through the finest blade of a hand mincer. Stir in flour or bread crumbs; beat thoroughly. Gradually beat in soda water or milk, 30 ml (2 tbsp) at a time, beating constantly to aerate mixture. Beat in egg, salt and pepper. Beat mixture until puffy. Shape mixture into oblongs with two teaspoons dipped in water. Fry frikadeller in hot butter slowly until browned on all sides. Serve with boiled or sugar-browned potatoes and red cabbage or pickled beets, or use on the cold table.

Taste Tester Notes: These are very light and are good hot or cold. I used flour and soda water and the mixture was puffy, but using the wet spoons to drop them into the pan is quick and works well. I used a non-stick pan and just a small amount of butter. They may flatten out a bit while frying.

Like Gondola's thin pizza crust

5 ml (1 tsp) sugar

15 ml (1 envelope) traditional yeast

60 ml (1/4 cup) oil

310 ml (1 1/4 cups) flour

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

250 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) flour

2 ml (1/2 tsp) oregano

2 ml (1/2 tsp) pepper

Combine first five items in a large mixing bowl. Stir in warm water. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add 125 ml (1/2 cup) at a time to the dough. Knead for about 5 minutes and let rest for 20 minutes in a warm room.

On a well-floured surface, roll dough into a very thin sheet. Cut to fit a pan. Make sure the pan is dry and floured. Freeze for at least three hours.

To prepare pizza, place toppings on top of your favourite sauce and frozen crust. Make sure the crust is completely frozen. Thawing the crust will result in a soggy or thicker crust. The crust should not be exposed for more than 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature. Bake in 450 F to 550 F (230 to 290 C) oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.

Restaurant-style pizza sauce

398 ml (14 oz) can Hunt's Italian tomato sauce

1 ml (1/4 tsp) chili powder

1 ml (1/4 tsp) garlic powder

5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano leaves (not ground oregano)

Mix together all ingredients thoroughly. Chill covered until needed.

Taste Tester Notes: Nice combination of flavours for a thin-crust pizza and sauce. When mixing the dough, it will seem like there is excess flour, but as you knead it the flour will all be worked in. This makes enough dough for two 12-inch pizzas and more than enough sauce for both. As it is important to bake crust from frozen state, have all of your toppings ready before taking crust out of the freezer. Check before suggested baking time -- mine baked in 15 minutes at 450 F. I also tried making the dough using half whole wheat flour with good results.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 19, 2007