Bremen Fish Patty Sandwiches: Fischfrikadellenbrötchen

This is a fish sandwich that thinks it's a "hamburger," but it can't be, because it's from Bremen ... A little German humor, because a "Hamburger" isn't just a sandwich, it is also the name for a person from Hamburg; so, it can't be a "hamburger," because it's from Bremen ... oh the hell with it! Just remember, it's good, sloppy, but good! 

"Fischfrikadellenbrötchen" is one of those German words that strikes fear into the hearts of people learning German, because it looks so intimidating. The thing is, you simply need to break the combined word into parts: Fisch-frikadellen-brötchen; so, fish-patty-roll, with roll in this case taking the meaning you make the sandwich with it. German also uses "Brot" (bread) in this same sense; that is, typically a "one slice sandwich," often coupled with the other component, like "Käsebrot" (cheese sandwich) or "Schinkenbrot" (ham sandwich), the plural simply adds an 'e' to the end. German also borrowed the word "Sandwich" from English, but that generally means two slices of bread are used. The capital 'S' is correct, as all German nouns are capitalized. Fish patty sandwiches in northern Germany are often called "Bremer."

 

For this sandwich, northern Germans tend to use "Seelachs" (also known as "Köhler"), which is known in the British Isles as "coley," "coalfish" or "saithe," but in North America it is often known as "Atlantic pollock." Likely when Americans hear "pollock," they think of what is usually "Alaskan pollock," a fish related to the "Atlantic pollock," but not quite the same. The German "Seelachs" name, which literally means "sea salmon," has confused the issue even more, as it makes people think the fish is a type of salmon, which it is not. All of these fish names and this slight difference with this one and that little difference with that one may drive you nuts. The firmer white fish are better for making the patties, so here's a little list, mainly for North Americans, and these are certainly not the only fish that qualify: Alaskan pollock, tilapia, cod, haddock, flounder, halibut. If you live elsewhere in the world, you may well already know the fish commonly sold in your part of the world; otherwise, just do a little checking. 

 

These sandwiches aren't meant to be easily eaten and they are sloppy, but delicious. 

 

 

Ingredients (serves 4):

 

For the fish patties:

1 pound pollock, cod or other white fish

1/2 cup finely chopped or grated white onion; you don't want big pieces, as it likely won't cook properly

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 cup fine breadcrumbs, divided use

1 egg

2/3 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 or 3 tablespoons oil for frying (more if needed)

To assemble the sandwiches:

1 medium onion cut into rings, then sauteed in one tablespoon butter + 1 teaspoon oil 

4 slices tomato

4 lettuce leaves

3 inch piece of cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

12 slices dill pickle 

6 tablespoons remoulade* or tartar sauce**

4 tablespoons ketchup

4 buns

lemon sections for serving

 

Rinse the fish, but drain it on paper towels or pat the fish dry; you don't want any extra moisture going into the fish patties. Finely chop or process 2/3 pound of the fish. Then chop the remaining 1/3 pound of fish somewhat more coarsely for texture (not in any big chunks). Add the finely and coarsely chopped fish to a bowl, and then add the finely chopped onion, 2/3 cup breadcrumbs (you will still have 1/3 cup left), parsley, egg, salt, pepper and lemon juice, mix together well, chill the fish mixture in the refrigerator for at least one hour, remove, and with lightly moistened hands, form into 4 patties (keep the thickness the same as possible, with the overall patties not being too thick, or they won't cook properly, as the outside may get too brown, but in the thicker part it may not cook through completely). Put the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs on a plate and gently press each patty into the breadcrumbs to coat them all over. Heat oil over medium heat and then fry the patties, allowing the underside to form a bit of a crust before turning the patties over to finish cooking (this can help hold them together). In a separate smaller skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1 teaspoon sunflower oil or vegetable oil over low heat. Add the onion rings from the medium onion and saute until the onion rings are softened and browned. Spread 3 tablespoons of remoulade or tartar sauce on the bottom half of the buns, which will help hold a lettuce leaf and 3 pickle slices on each bun, then place a fish patty on top of this, then top the fish patties with some cucumber slices and tomato slices, then put some browned onion rings on top of each sandwich and add a tablespoon of ketchup to each. Finish by spreading the remaining 3 tablespoons remoulade or tartar sauce on the top bun and cover the sandwich. Serve with lemon wedges.     

 

 

* For French remoulade sauce, here is the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/08/french-remoulade.html 

 

** For homemade tartar sauce, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/09/homemade-tartar-sauce.html

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Schmaltz-This word is related to "melt," a word from the Germanic roots of English, to "smelt," the verb meaning "to soften or melt ore in order to separate metal from it," a word from Germanic, but in this form likely borrowed from Dutch and Low German, (the noun "smelt," the name for a type of fish is "perhaps" also related, but that is not a certainty), and to the main part of "enamel," which is Germanic derived, but borrowed by English from French, which had it from Germanic Frankish. "Schmaltz" goes back to Indo European "meld," and to its extended variant form "smeld," which meant, "to soften, to make soft." This gave Old Germanic "smalta," which meant "soft fat or grease," and this gave Old English "smolt," with the same meaning, and Old High German "smalz," also with the same meaning. The English form died out, but the German form later became the modern form "Schmalz," meaning "softened or melted animal fat," and regionally in some German speaking areas, "clarified butter." Yiddish developed in the Rhineland area of Germany. It was based upon the High German dialect of that area, with elements from various German dialects, Hebrew, Slavic, and some Latin-based languages, like Rumanian. It was initially referred to as "taytsh/taytsch" (which meant "German," compared to Middle High German "tiutsch" and modern German "Deutsch"). Yiddish had the word as transliterated "shmalts," which also had the "animal fat" meaning, but over time it came to usually mean "chicken/goose fat." The meaning "excessive sentimentality" also developed, but I'm not sure if that meaning developed first in German or Yiddish, as both have it, and long ago the two languages were so closely linked, it's hard to say. English borrowed "schmaltz" in the "animal fat/chicken/goose fat" context in the mid 1800s, likely from German immigrants to America (Jewish immigration became much more prominent a little while later, and that undoubtedly reinforced and boosted the culinary use of "schmaltz"), but the "excessive sentimentality" meaning seems to have come from Yiddish in the 1930s; thus also, "schmaltzy" developed.         

Lobscouse or Labskaus: A Dish From The Sailing Ship Days

English "Lobscouse" and German "Labskaus" aren't so much true recipes, but rather they are an assembling of various parts of a meal, all easily bought at your local store and none really requires much preparation, unless you choose to make some things from "scratch." Lobscouse, pronounced as if, "lops-cowse," developed from foods commonly carried on sailing ships in the 1700s. The term "may" have developed in England, as "Lobscouse," and then spread to the close cousin of English, Low German, where it was borrowed by standard German. On the other hand, there are those who believe the term developed in German and spread elsewhere. The problem I have with this theory is, in the 1700s, most Germans in the coastal north of Germany spoke Low German, as standard German was not really that common in those areas at that time. Further, there are some obviously related terms in Denmark and Norway, as well as clear over in the areas of the eastern Baltic Sea, all areas, in those times, much more in contact with Low German, but the similarity in the terms and the passing of the base term from area to area is not surprising, as trade between the various regions of the Baltic and North Seas was quite common, but still the word's exact history is unclear.

The component parts of the dish also varied, with English "Lobscouse" being a stew of salt cured beef, soaked a bit in water to lessen the saltiness, then stewed with potatoes, carrots, onions, or perhaps some other vegetables, when available. It seems that some sea cooks thickened the stew with bread crumbs made by pounding stale bread. Some stories I've read mention that beets were often served with the stew (see German Labskaus, below). In more modern times, the basic idea has remained, but the meat nowadays is often mutton or beef, or even ham, and more seasonings are included, as well as other vegetables and rich meat stock. Of course, in the days of the great sailing ships, the beef was salt cured to preserve it. Lobscouse is a specialty of the city of Liverpool in England.  

German "Labskaus" is well known in northern Germany, especially in the cities of Hamburg and Bremen; in fact, I first had "Labskaus" in Hamburg in 1985. "Labskaus" is typically canned corned beef (there's the salt cured beef), potatoes, pickled beets, pickled herring and pickles; then the dish is topped by a fried egg (German: Spiegelei). Rather than use canned corned beef, some people simmer a piece of beef with some salt and seasonings for a couple of hours. They then grind the meat. Sometimes, the pickle, along with a bit of onion, is wrapped up in herring fillets, which is called "Rollmops." Other preserved fish is also used at times. The potatoes are peeled, diced and simmered until just tender, but not falling apart. They are then drained and mixed into the corned beef. A good serving of the beef and potato mix is put in the middle of the plate and it is ringed by some pickled beets, pickled herring or other fish, and some sliced pickles. A fried egg goes on top of the corned beef and potatoes. Some cooks grind or chop the beets and the herring and mix them into the corned beef and potatoes.

So, what you'll need:

canned corned beef or beef simmered with salt and maybe some peppercorns and bay leaves
potatoes, peeled, diced and simmered just until tender
pickled beets from a jar are fine or make them yourself
pickled herring or other herring or sardines
dill pickles, cut into slices lengthwise    
fried eggs

In the picture, I used "Rollmops," a German herring specialty of pickle slices and some onion rolled up in herring fillets, which are then held in place with wooden picks. You can find Rollmops in some supermarkets, but some seafood places may also have them, but regular pickled herring is totally fine to use, as are sardines. I made my own beets, and I improvised, as I had a couple of green onions, so I cut them up, green and all, and used them in the beets. 

WORD HISTORY:
Wade-This word, distantly related through Indo European to the "vade" part of both "invade" and "evade," words of Latin derivation that were borrowed by English, goes back to Indo European "wahd," which had the notion, "to go through." This gave its Old Germanic offspring, "wadan," meaning, "to go through, to cross through," seemingly also with the underlying notion of "go against hindrance." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "wadan," with the same meaning, but more specifically, "to cross a shallow part of a river or stream, to ford, to walk through generally shallow water." This then became "waden," before the modern form, along with the figurative meanings, "to proceed regardless of difficulty, to become involved in some difficulty." The other Germanic languages have: German "waten" (to wade), Low German Saxon "waden" (to wade), Dutch "waden" (to wade), Danish "vade" (to wade), Icelandic "vaða" (=vatha, meaning, "to wade"), Norwegian "vade/vada" (to wade), Swedish "vada" (to wade). (I found what appeared to be forms of the verb in West Frisian, but I could not find the infinitive form.) The "Wadden Sea," known in Low German as the "Wattensee" and in West Frisian as the "Waadsee," is the name of a coastal area of shallow water and wetlands in the North Sea running from southwestern Denmark, northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. In a way, you could say, it's the "Wading Sea," as the term is derived from the same Germanic source, with the idea being, "an area of the sea being shallow enough to be waded." By the way, French "gué" ("ford") was borrowed from Germanic Frankish.