The Berliner buletten

The Berliner buletten is the grandfather of all frikadellen (though there are others that will say it is just the load mouthed Prussians making another unsubstantiated boast)


Here is my recipe, which varies each time I make it but this time it required

1kg of mixed mince (50% beef, 50% pork)

250g of Mett (Hackepeter) this is spiced minced pork that is often eaten raw for breakfast a sort of pork tartar but with a good smattering of fat, herbs and spices.

1 Schrippe (bread roll) from the day before.

100 ml of milk

1 fresh egg

1 dsp of marjoram

2 tsp. vegetable stock powder (I use marigold low salt)

2 tsp. tomato concentrate

2 medium onions or 1 large one diced quite fine

2 cloves of garlic chopped

2 heaped tsp of mustard, what type I shall leave up to you, but Dijon or mittelscharf is my preferred

A good grinding of black pepper (at least a tsp. worth)

Cut the Shrippe into 3 or 4 pieces (this gives it more surface area to absorb the milk) and put it into a bowl with the milk, allow it to soak up as much of the milk as possible. It should swell and become very soft, squeeze the Schrippe and place in a kitchen machine and buzz it until it is a paste,

put into a bowl with the mince etc.

Fry the onion and the garlic in a little oil

Place this in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix either with a hand mixer or do as I do use your hands, it is far better and also very therapeutic. When mixed taste, you can adjust the seasoning if needed (you can also fry a small patty to see if it is correct). Now form into balls of about 110g ( this will give 12 or 11 nice buletten)

Heat some oil in a pan (traditionally it would be pork dripping, but we are being healthy)

Here you don’t want it too hot, you should fry the buletten at a medium heat, turning when the bottom is brown and crisp.

Fry them and when done put them on a plate covered with kitchen paper to absorb the fat (again see that I am thinking about your health)

Berliner buletten are traditionally served with Salzkartoffeln (steamed potatoes and peas)

Or eaten with pommes (Chips) and Senf (mustard)

Or eaten with a curry sauce (curry buletten)

Or eaten straight out of the pan, but beware hot, this is why my dozen only has 11 in it