Once again, I am coming back from a longer absence than I had intended. I must apologise, but sadly it does not look likely that I will soon be able to return to my optimistic schedule, unless the economic crisis of 2026 does end up costing me my job after all. Still, what kept me from posting a longer article this weekend was a good thing. For the first time in weeks, I had the chance to go to flea markets and actually test out some historic recipes. Let me tell you about that.
First, yesterday as I was walking over a flea market in Hamburg, I spotted what looked like a cast-bronze, three-legged Grapen style cookpot. Grapen were a central tool of North German kitchen between 1300 and the early 20th century, but later versions were typically made from cast iron. Bronze ones are very rare and usually museum pieces. This one, though, turned out to be a genuine one and inexpensive enough for me to actually buy. I’ve put in a few hours cleaning it off, but it will take a lot more time with vinegar, wire brushes, and polishing tools. Once it is actually done, I hope to use it to recreate some recipes.
The other thing I did was try out a few recipes for a small publishing project. I intend to put all the ‘Feeding the Revolution‘ articles into one compilation with redactions of the recipes adapted for the modern home kitchen (or protest catering station). Today, among a few other things, I tried out the Bouletten from the 1868 Volksküche manual:
Nr. 19: Mashed potatoes and Bouletten with sour sauce
Bouletten: 3 lbs (1.5kg) beef, 3 lbs (1.5 kg) pork, 1/3 Metze (1.15 litres) of grated Semmel bread, 2 Metzen (6.9 litres) grated boiled potatoes, 1/2 Mandel (seven) eggs, pepper, spices, onions and salt, 1 lb (500g) of fat to fry 100 Bouletten.
Mashed potatoes: 2 1/2 – 3 Scheffel (110 litres) potatoes, 8 Quart (9.12 litres) milk, 3 lbs (1.5 kg) salt
Sauce: 1 lb fat mixed with 2 lbs flour, 1/2 lb flour added dry to the roux, 2 Quart (2.28 litres) good vinegar, 1 lb sugar, pepper, spices and onions, the necessary quantity of water. Cooking time: 1/2 hour
I began by downsizing quantities to a more manageable 1kg of potatoes, 500g of mixed ground beef and pork (this is a common thing in German cuisine, gemischtes Hack, for same in any supermarket and most butchers’ shops), one egg, and 100g of grated bread. Without guidance as to quantities, I went with 1 1/2 medium-sized onions, 2 tsp of salt, and a generous pinch of pepper and mace. I shredded the boiled potatoes coarsely, diced the onions, and mashed it all together in a bowl by hand. This turned out easier than I expected, and the mass held together very well. I shaped patties from pieces the size of eggs and tried out various temperatures and quantities of fat to fry them. The best combination, in my opinion, was a high temperature with about a tablespoon of fat in a pan of five Bouletten. Looking at the original instructions, this is unlikely to be accurate, though. The potatoes and breadcrumbs soak up fat quickly. Just one pound to cook 100 means at best a light coating on the pan.
The patties were initially hard to handle. They stuck to the pan and came apart easily when turned over, though they held together well enough for me not to break any completely. High heat can produce a slightly crispy exterior, and I did not burn any, though that would definitely have been possible if I had let my attention wander. Eaten warm, they are soft, almost spoonable, and would go well with mashed potatoes and a sweet-sour sauce. After they had cooled, I had one on a baguette sandwich and was surprised how well it went with mustard and lettuce.
Now, it bears repeating that these are good despite being made very cheaply. This is a product of skill. The upper class version of the same dish requires much less ability. Here is the description from Henriette Davidis’ Praktisches Kochbuch:
Fried Frikandellen
The Frikandellen turn out especially fine and tasty if you mince one part beef, one part veal, and one part well-marbled pork, adding 100-200g of butter to the meat. This mixture cannot always be had, though. In that case, you mince 1kg of good beef with 125g of suet of fresh bacon (Speck) very finely and add 4 whole eggs, 20g salt, a pinch of mace or ground pepper, 30g of ground rusk (Zwieback) or grated white bread, and one cup of cold water, mixing all together thoroughly. You then shape round balls, smoothed flat with wet hands, sprinkled with ground rusk, lay them into boiling (lit. rising, steigende) butter and fry them golden in the pan, repeatedly drizzling the meat with hot fat. The Frikandellen must be golden, not brown.
With this much butter, eggs, and high-quality meat, it would take quite some talent not to have them come out tasting good. As an aside, the two words used here are still current in German for the fame dish. Frikadelle is the technical, formal word and usually found in cookbooks. Bulette is a local name in the region of Berlin, considered informal and slightly proletarian. Other areas have different words for this ubiquitous dish.
So much for today, and I apologise in advance if there is no more until the coming weekend. I am looking forward to another very busy week with some apprehension, but I have not forgotten my readers. Stay safe out there, everyone.