Frikkadels stuffed with camembert

Dutch meatballs were brought to the shores of Sri Lanka around 450 years ago and they’re still a favourite among the Burgher community. I thought they’d go very nicely with the delicious camembert hand-made by Jane Wyle from Cambray cheese. Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen

• makes

  16

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 small rounds camembert, or similar, cut into 16 cubes
• 4 eggs
• 200 g dried breadcrumbs
• rice bran oil, for shallow-frying
• tomato chilli jam, to serve

Frikkadel mixture

• 450 g minced beef
• 1 tsp finely chopped young ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
• ½ tsp ground clove
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of saffron threads, crushed
• 1 thick slice sourdough bread, lightly toasted and grated
• 2 tbsp finely grated fennel bulb
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Resting time 5 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

For the frikkadel mixture, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to combine well. Divide the mixture into 16 portions and shape into balls. Using damp hands, place one ball in the palm of your hand and flatten to make a disc. Place a cube of camembert in the centre, then shape the mixture around the cheese and roll into a smooth ball, making sure the cheese is fully enclosed.

Place the eggs in a shallow bowl and lightly beat. Place the dried breadcrumbs in another bowl. Working one at a time, dip the frikkadels in the beaten egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs until well coated.  

Heat the oil into a heavy-based saucepan or deep-fryer to 180°C. Cook the frikkadels, in batches until lightly golden all over. Remove from the pan and place on a baking tray lined with paper towel. Stand for 5 minutes to allow the heat to penetrate through to the centre, then re-fry the frikkadels until golden brown. Place on a baking tray lined with a fresh paper towel, then transfer to the oven and bake for 5 minutes to ensure the centre is cooked and the cheese melted.

Serve hot with tomato chilli jam.  

Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen starts 8pm, Thursday 21 June on SBS and then you can catch-up on SBS On Demand. Visit the program page for recipes, videos and more.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.