70 years: Danish beef patty anno 2026 vs 1956

To celebrate our 70th anniversary, we’ve revisited two Danish classics: Beef patty with onions and veal fricassée – from around 1956, when Scanpan was founded. The skilled Danish chef René Stenholt presents both how the dishes were best prepared back then and how they are interpreted in a 2026 version.

Find the 1956 recipe further down the page. We begin with 2026.

Recipe: Beef patty with onions anno 2026

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Beef, potato cream and sauce:

800 g minced beef (10–12% fat)
25 g butter
Salt and pepper
200 g potatoes
100 ml milk
100 ml water
300 ml veal stock

Vegetables:

2 red onions
200 g cucumbers
400 ml vinegar (200 ml for onions, 200 ml for cucumbers)
400 ml water (200 ml for onions, 200 ml for cucumbers)
400 ml sugar (200 ml for onions, 200 ml for cucumbers)
200 g beetroot
50 ml olive oil
50 ml balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley

Method

1. The patties:

   Shape the minced beef into patties of your preferred size. Season with salt and pepper and fry them in browned butter.

2. Potato cream:

   Peel the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces. Place them in a saucepan and add the water and milk. Let simmer for approx. 20–25 minutes, then blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

3. Sauce/glaze:

   Reduce the veal stock until it becomes a glaze. It is then ready to serve.

4. Pickled red onions:

   Peel and cut the onions into neat wedges and place them in a sterilised jar. Heat the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a quick boil. Pour the warm pickling liquid over the onions and leave to infuse for 1 day. They are then ready to serve.

5. Pickled cucumber balls:

   Prepare the cucumbers, cut them into cubes or scoop small balls using a melon baller, and place them in a sterilised jar. Dissolve the vinegar, water and sugar in a bowl and pour over the cucumbers. Leave to infuse for approx. 30 minutes. They are then ready to serve.

6. Raw pickled beetroot strips:

   Peel and prepare the beetroot, then slice into thin strips using a peeler or mandoline. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Ready to serve. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

7. Plating:

   Arrange on a plate: start with the potato cream, then add the patties. Top with beetroot strips, red onions and chopped parsley. Scatter the cucumber balls over the plate to taste. Finish with the sauce/glaze, placing it as desired.

Recipe: Beef patty with onions anno 1956

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Beef patties:

800 g minced beef (10–12% fat)
25 g butter
Salt and pepper

Vegetables:

1 kg potatoes (preferably new Danish potatoes)
Chopped parsley
200 g beetroot
200 g cucumbers
400 ml vinegar (200 ml for beetroot, 200 ml for cucumbers)
400 ml water (200 ml for beetroot, 200 ml for cucumbers)
400 ml sugar (200 ml for beetroot, 200 ml for cucumbers)
3–4 onions
50 g butter
Salt and pepper

Sauce:

Approx. 25 g butter
2 tbsp flour
200 ml chicken stock
100 ml cream
A few drops of browning (gravy colouring)

Method

1. The patties:

   Shape the minced beef into patties of your preferred size. Season with salt and pepper and fry them in browned butter.

2. Potatoes:

   Wash and peel the potatoes and boil them for 15–20 minutes in lightly salted water. If using new potatoes, simply wash them and cook with the skins on, but remember to salt the water. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley when serving.

3. Sauce:

   Make a roux from butter and flour. Add the chicken stock and whisk until smooth, then add the cream, browning (gravy colouring), salt and pepper.

4. Pickled beetroot:

   Peel and prepare the beetroot, then slice them. Dissolve the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan, add the beetroot and let simmer for approx. 5 minutes. Pour the warm pickling liquid and beetroot into a sterilised jar and leave to infuse for 1 day. Ready to serve.

5. Pickled cucumbers:

   Prepare the cucumbers, slice them thinly and place them in a sterilised jar. Dissolve the vinegar, water and sugar in a bowl and pour over the cucumbers. Leave to infuse for approx. 30 minutes. Ready to serve.

6. Soft onions:

   Peel and slice the onions into thin rings. Brown the butter in a pan, add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Let the onions caramelise well.

Try our other anniversary dish

René Stenholt has also reinterpreted veal fricassée in two versions, anno 1956 and 2026.

See the recipes here.