Root vegetable patties

The Vikings didn’t know of potatoes!
The potato came to Europe from South America in the 1500s, and it wasn’t until the 1800s that the Danes began to embrace it as a natural part of their meals. Until then, potatoes were considered animal feed.

Root vegetables, cabbages and peas were, on the other hand, grown in the Viking Age kitchen gardens, and it’s from these root vegetables that these delicious patties are made.

Root Vegetable Patties

Leftover boiled or baked root vegetables can easily be turned into the most delicious patties the next day. We have used a coarse mash made from boiled turnips, carrots, parsnips, parsley roots and celeriac to make these patties. You can also add potatoes to your mash, but since the Vikings didn’t know of the potato, we’ll leave it out here.

Procedure

Mix the vegetable mash with garlic, thyme, parsley root leaves (or simply parsley), eggs, wholemeal flour and salt. The mixture should be fairly firm. Season to taste.

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan. Drop spoonfuls of the vegetable mixture onto the pan and fry the patties until golden and crisp on both sides.

These root vegetable patties can be served both hot, warm or cold.

Ingredients

4 persons
  • 400 g cooled coarse mash of root vegetable
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Thyme, finely chopped
  • Leaves from parsley root tops, finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tbsp wholemeal flour
  • Salt
  • Butter

Cook’s notes

The parsley root leaves can be replaced with parsley. And if you haven’t got any wholemeal flour to hand, you can use porridge oats instead.

These root vegetable patties are also lovely with chopped greens in savoury pancakes or on rye bread the next day.

Serve with Broad beans with mint and apple. Go to recipe here
Serve with Flatbread. Go to recipe here