Faschierte Laibchen are one of those Austrian dishes that I always assumed everyone called by the same name. It wasn’t until I was older that I realised just how many different names there are for what is essentially the same thing.

Growing up in Vienna, they were Faschierte Laibchen to me. So when my aunt in Bavaria once made them and called them Fleischpflanzerl, I was genuinely confused. Surely she meant something else? Why wasn’t she calling them Faschierte Laibchen?

Of course, she wasn’t talking about a different dish at all.

Depending on where you are in Austria or Germany, you might come across names such as Faschierte Laibchen, Fleischpflanzerl, Frikadellen or Buletten. And while there are regional differences in how they are prepared, they all belong to the same family of comforting, seasoned meat patties.

Here in the UK, you are most likely to come across something similar as a meat patty or meatball-style burger, although the Austrian version isn’t quite the same. And if you’ve ever spotted Frikadellen at Lidl, you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about.

My mother-in-law, meanwhile, calls them “Frikadillys”, which is probably my favourite name of all. She started doing it to get a rise out of me, as i kept correcting her, but now, I accept it.

The word faschiert is the Austrian term for minced meat, while Laibchen roughly means a small loaf or patty. One thing I particularly like about the Austrian version is that I prefer my Faschierte Laibchen fairly small. When I compare them with the larger Frikadellen you can sometimes buy here in the UK, the Austrian ones I grew up with always seem more like little individual patties than large meatballs.

Ingredients

Method

1. Break the stale bread rolls into pieces and place them in a bowl with the milk. Leave them to soak until softened.
2. Finely chop the onions and garlic.
3. Heat a little oil in a pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Allow it to cool slightly.
4. Squeeze the excess milk out of the soaked bread and add it to a large bowl with the minced meat.
5. Add the eggs, cooked onion and garlic, salt, pepper, marjoram and caraway.
6. Mix everything thoroughly until you have an evenly combined mixture. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
7. Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape each one into a small, flat patty.

I like my Faschierte Laibchen on the smaller side, but you can make them whatever size you prefer.

8. Roll each Laibchen in breadcrumbs, making sure it is lightly coated all over.
9. Heat enough oil in a large frying pan to fry the Laibchen.
10. Place them carefully into the hot oil and fry on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.
11. The exact cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your Laibchen, so make sure the centre is fully cooked before serving.
12. Serve with either Potato salad, Kartoffelschmarrn or your favourite side dish.

Whatever you call them, this is one of those dishes that shows just how much Austrian and German food culture overlaps.

I still think of them as Faschierte Laibchen.

Although I have to admit that Frikadillys has grown on me.