Grünkern-Frikadellen (smoked green spelt patties)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Patties
- 200 g Grünkern (green spelt) rounded
- 500 ml vegetable broth rounded
- 100 g onion, finely chopped rounded
- 1 egg rounded
- 50 g breadcrumbs rounded
- 15 g fresh parsley rounded
- 30 ml neutral oil, for frying rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Method
Method
- Combine the Grünkern and broth in a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully tender with no firm bite remaining and most of the liquid absorbed. Let cool slightly.
- Combine the cooked Grünkern, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley and salt. Mix thoroughly, mashing lightly with a fork or your hands to help the mixture bind.
- Shape into 8 patties. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and firm.
Notes
- Cook the Grünkern well past al dente. Unlike most grains, this one needs to be genuinely soft and slightly overcooked to release enough starch to bind the patties; firm, undercooked grains leave the mixture crumbly and prone to falling apart.
- Grünkern’s smoky flavour is the whole point. It comes from the traditional kiln-drying process; don’t season around it as though it were a neutral grain.
- Chill the shaped patties before frying, so the egg and breadcrumbs have time to firm the mixture before it meets the heat.
- Leftover patties reheat well in a hot, dry pan for a few minutes per side.
Ingredient substitutions
- Grünkern is genuinely distinctive; bulgur is the closest substitute in texture, though it lacks the smoky character entirely.
- Any hard, well-flavoured cheese stirred into the mixture is a good addition.
- Serve with a simple yoghurt sauce or a green salad alongside.