I’ve never done one of those 23 and Me tests, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have any sort of Danish heritage. I’ve never been to Denmark. But there’s a lot to admire about this small European nation. Year after year, international organizations vote Denmark the best place to live in the world, or that it’s the happiest place on the planet. Lego is from there, and my home is filled with the stuff. I mean, there’s probably a GDP scale for the Sandor household alone in terms of Lego imports. And, I remember watching the Laudrup brothers terrorize defenders on the soccer pitch. I mean, that makes me an honorary citizen, right?
Well, in the spirit of the World Cup, I decided to go for a specifically Danish lunch — and headed to Three Vikings for a plate of frikadeller. Paired with a dry cider, this was a great way to get out of the cold on a November afternoon.
What is frikadeller? Pork meatballs served atop a fluffy cloud of mashed potatoes, served with a side of warm red cabbage and sweet cucumber salad.
Now, a lot of European cuisines can do wondrous things with cabbage, but sweet red cabbage has long been my favourite. Served warm, it’s both sweet and acidic, and offers a great contrast to the pork meatballs — it’s much like we serve applesauce with pork in North America. Usually, to get the sweetness and acidity mix just right, it’s the cabbage is sweetened by a berry or currant juice, or sometimes apples.
The cucumber salad is simple, yet delicious: the cuke slices are shaved thin, then served in a combination of vinegar and sugar.
Now, to the stars of the show: Four large meatballs are decidedly decadent sitting atop the mashed potatoes. Together with the gravy, each bite brings me back to my imaginary childhood in Copenhagen. As meat-and-potatoes dishes go in Edmonton, this one is highly recommended.
Now, if I could only get a bowl-sized helping of that red cabbage…
Three Vikings
Westmount | 10713 124 St NW Edmonton | 780.249.6302 | threevikings.ca
