Rissole

Rissole is an interesting group of dishes with an intriguing history. The original French rissoles were prepared by enclosing the main ingredients in pastry dough and frying them, but over time the original recipe has evolved and changed. Today, a large number of slightly different dishes are incorporated under the same name, and each country usually has their own rissole variety. They can be found in numerous European countries, but also in Australia, New Zealand, and even Indonesia and Brazil. This French invention might refer to both food items which are made by enclosing ingredients in a pastry, to create a food item similar to turnovers, or by rolling the ingredients in breadcrumbs, which creates a dish similar to patties. Primarily, rissoles were deep-fried, but today the name also encompasses the varieties that are baked in an oven or fried in shallow oil. Even though savory rissole fillings are more common, there are also some sweet varieties. They can be made with minced or cut meat, seafood, or vegetables, and the sweet varieties are usally made with fruit. Most of them, including both sweet and savory rissoles, are usually served with a sauce on the side.