Meat Fritters is a traditional British recipe, based on Alexis Soyer's recipe of 1854, for a classic fritter made from a blend of bread, left-over meat, onion and spices bound with eggs that's shaped into balls, egged and breaded before frying and serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Meat Fritters.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Alexis Soyer's 1854 volume A Shilling Cookery for the People, the first Victorian cookbook for the common man.
Original Recipe
161. Fritters of Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Fruits.—The following is thirty receipts in one:—Put a pound of the crumb of bread to soak in cold water, take the same quantity of any kind of boiled or roasted meat, a little fat, which chop in dice rather fine, press the water out of the bread; put in the pan two ounces of butter, lard, or dripping, with two teaspoonfuls of chopped onions, fry two minutes, add the bread, stir with a wooden spoon until rather dry, then add the meat, season with a teaspoonful of salt, half of pepper, a little grated nutmeg, if handy; stir till quite hot; then add two eggs, one at a time, mix very quick, and pour on dish to cool.
Then roll it into the shape of small eggs, then in flour, egg them and bread-crumb, fry (as No. 72) a nice yellow colour; serve plain, or with any sharp or any other sauce you fancy.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients
500g stale bread, soaked in water
500g left-over cooked meat, finely diced
60g butter
2 tsp spring onion, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
2 eggs, beaten, for binding
100g plain flour, for dusting
2 eggs, beaten
100g fine breadcrumbs
60g butter
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and fry for two minutes. In the meantime drain the bread and squeeze out any excess water. Crumble the bread into the pan and continue frying, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is quite dry.
Now add the meat and seasonings. Cook for about 5 minutes to heat through then take off the heat and pour over the two beaten eggs. Stir quickly to combine then pour the mixture into a dish to cool.
Once the mixture is cold, shape into balls about 2cm in diameter. Take each ball in turn, dip in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs until completely covered. Set aside as you finish the remaining fritters.
Melt the 60g butter in a pan, add the fritters and fry for about 15 minutes, or until coloured a nice golden brown and heated through. Serve immediately, accompanied by your choice of sauce.
