To be fair to Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, they make far more interesting food than just there famous meatballs! However, since Ikea has been working hard trying to make them famous, I thought I better pen my recipe. The trick here is texture, or grain, if you like. Some people prefer a very fine grain, some a rather more chunky ball. Here I have gone for the fine version, but up to you.
The one common thing with Swedish Meatballs is that they are served with a creamy gravy of some description
Ingredients:
- Mince (veal or beef and pork – I like half and half with pork)
- Onion
- Dill
- Mustard
- Eggs, beaten
- White pepper
- Salt
- Parsley
- cream
- bread
Like most of my recipes, I do not put exact quantities as you can play with that yourselves. However, over doing the eggs will make them mushy, so use about 1 egg and 1/2 cup cream and per 500 grams meat.
Mince the onion in a blender till very fine, then put in a cloth and squeeze out as much juice as you can. Shove the mince in a blander to make it very fine and paste like. Add the bread and mince again.
In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and add the meat/bread mix. Mix thoroughly with your hands, then put it in a bag and put in the fridge for an hour or more. This is important as it makes sure the flavours mix properly and the bread soaks up the juices. And to be honest, these are easier to mould cold!
Now, to make the balls. It is easier to make them with wet hands – you wont get stuck up so much. Make the balls fairly small rather than the huge things we make in the UK. Just take a spoonful of mix and roll in your palms, then put on a plate, dusted with a little flour.
Fry Them
I like mine fried in good olive oil – it adds a nice flavour. Fry them at a medium heat, rolling the round the pan frequently to keep the cooking even. Remember that if you use pork to cook them properly!
While they are cooking, make a gravy of choice. I like a creamy one made with cream, strong white stock and possibly some alcohol! Just fry off some flour and add hot stock to make a basic white sauce, then add cream, pepper, a little mustard and seasoning. I notice Ikea add soy sauce to theirs.
And that is it. Serve with potatoes and steamed veg. Oh, and more alcohol.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
