Cooking 101 | Comfort-food classic becomes centerpiece for Danish meal

Take a trip across the sea to Scandinavia with this home-style Danish meal created by Johnson County Community College student chef Patrisha Nielsen.

It’s a favorite of her children and reflects their dad’s Danish heritage.

Try it out over the weekend, preparing the beets on Saturday and the rest of the menu for Sunday dinner.

“This particular meal is a favorite and has the home-style service presentation that we love,” Nielsen said. “Many times these items are served family style, or they’re great for a larger family get-together when we would use a buffet style of service.”

The menu is flexible.

Don’t like beets? Try red cabbage, which also would be a typical accompaniment in Denmark, Nielsen said.

Don’t have time for the scalloped potatoes? Try boiled potatoes instead and top them with the brown gravy.

The meatballs are stickier than most meatball recipes even after they’ve been chilled. Nielsen suggests forming the meatballs and dropping them directly into the hot butter in the pan.

Clarified butter can be heated to a higher temperature without smoking than plain melted butter. To clarify the butter, heat it slowly in a pan, skimming off foam and allowing the milk solids to sink to the bottom. Carefully pour the remaining golden fat into a container and use as needed. Clarified butter will last in the refrigerator for a week or two.

You can also substitute ghee from an Indian or gourmet store for the clarified butter.

Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)

Makes 4 servings

1 pound ground pork

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 egg

1 medium onion, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons clarified butter

Sauce:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

16 ounces beef stock

1 tablespoon sour cream

10 sprigs parsley, chopped

Place ground pork in food processor and process until a ball is formed. Add oatmeal, egg, onion and seasonings. Process again until well combined. Add milk slowly until well combined. Refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes; it is best if left overnight.

Shape meat mixture into 16 slightly flattened oval meatballs.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until golden. The pan must be very hot so the meatballs do not stick. Place meatballs in pan and sauté for approximately 6 minutes while spooning butter over the top. Flip meatballs and repeat. Remove meatballs and place in warm oven to stay warm.

To make sauce: Turn stove heat to low, add flour to the pan and cook over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes until a light brown roux is formed. Add white wine and beef stock and let cook slowly for about 20 minutes until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add sour cream and chopped parsley, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and return the meatballs to the sauce.

Per serving: 548 calories (60 percent from fat), 35 grams total fat (15 grams saturated), 157 milligrams cholesterol, 25 grams carbohydrates, 27 grams protein, 1,115 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.

Scalloped Potatoes

Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, small diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 pounds potatoes, sliced thin

1 quart cream

Salt and white pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 16-inch oven-proof skillet, melt butter. Add onions and garlic, sauté until onions are soft. Add potatoes, reserving some to arrange on the top. Reduce heat; add cream and heat through. Arrange reserved potato slices on top, and season to taste. Place in the oven and cook until the potatoes are done, the cream has thickened and the top is brown and bubbly.

Per serving: 458 calories (63 percent from fat), 33 grams total fat (21 grams saturated), 113 milligrams cholesterol, 36 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams protein, 84 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.

Pickled Beets

Makes 4 servings

1 pound beets

2 cups vinegar

1 cup sugar

6 whole cloves

Trim and clean beets. Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add beets; cook over low heat until tender, approximately 1 hour. Drain. Remove skin from beets while still warm. Cool completely. Slice beets and place in a clean glass jar. Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil. Pour over the beets; add cloves. Allow to sit for 24 hours in refrigerator.

Per serving: 84 calories, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 21 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 60 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.

Recipe and food styling by Patrisha Nielsen, 30, a fourth-semester student in the Johnson County Community College food and beverage management program. She works at Pampered Palate Catering in Overland Park.