The famous Swedish meatballs (Swedish: köttbullar), served with a delicious white sauce and berry jam. As you might guess, this dish comes from Sweden, where it is very popular — and it owes much of its worldwide fame to being served at the Swedish retail chain IKEA. It is served there exactly this way, with jam, so if you're skeptical about meatballs with a sweet jam on the side, don't be — it really is unusual, but absolutely delicious. My taste testers and I loved these meatballs. Of the 30 I made, there wasn't a single one left by the next day!)) By the way, Swedish meatballs are also the favorite dish of Karlsson-on-the-Roof, and that's because his creator Astrid Lindgren was a true Swede. According to her books, Karlsson's favorite foods are meatballs and whipped cream cake. Interestingly, in the Soviet animated adaptation, Karlsson inexplicably developed a love of jam instead.))
Ingredients:
- 600 g ground meat (half pork, half beef)
- 200 g onion
- 50-100 ml heavy cream 10-20%
- 50 g breadcrumbs or bread (preferably stale)
- mashed potatoes from two boiled potatoes (optional)
- 1 egg
- salt, pepper
- garlic, allspice
- butter and vegetable oil for frying
- White Sauce:
- 200-300 ml broth
- 150 ml heavy cream 10-20%
- 50 g butter
- 30 g flour
- salt, pepper
- Also:
- 100 g lingonberries or cranberries
- 30-50 g sugar
- or store-bought lingonberry or cranberry jam
How to cook swedish meatballs
Peel the onion, chop it very finely, and sauté in a mixture of butter and vegetable oil until translucent and lightly golden. Trim the crusts off the bread and soak the bread in the heavy cream.
Add the bread soaked in heavy cream, egg, and sautéed onion to the ground meat. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and freshly ground allspice. Also add either regular garlic pressed through a garlic press, or a little dried garlic powder (I used the latter). You can also mix in a small amount of mashed boiled potatoes — it makes the texture of the meatballs more tender. This is especially helpful if you're not sure how lean the meat is; in that case, add mashed potatoes from about two boiled potatoes (let them cool first).
Knead the meat mixture very thoroughly. This is important so the meatballs hold together and keep their shape. Chill the mixture well in the refrigerator so it's easier to shape the meatballs. Roll small meatballs, slightly larger than a walnut. I made 30. If for some reason your meatballs aren't holding their shape, you can pop them in the freezer for a short time so they don't fall apart when frying.
Heat a small amount of butter and vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat. Add a portion of the meatballs.
Quickly brown the meatballs on all sides until golden. Fry in 2–3 batches. If you add all the meatballs at once, the temperature in the pan will drop and they will steam rather than fry.
Transfer the meatballs to a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 180°C for 15–20 minutes, until cooked through — but don't overbake them!
Make the white sauce. You'll need broth. I don't usually make or store broth ahead of time, so I quickly made some from the meat trimmings left over after preparing the ground meat. I added whole allspice berries, a bay leaf, dried garlic, salt, and pepper while it simmered. You can use any meat broth or even chicken broth — it will work great. You could use water, but the sauce won't be as flavorful and rich. Melt the butter in a skillet.
Gradually pour in the heavy cream as well, continuing to stir. The sauce should be fairly thin and pourable — add more broth if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.
Make the jam (or use store-bought if you have it). Lingonberries are the traditional choice, but in my area lingonberries are simply not available — not fresh, not frozen, not even as jam.)) Cranberries are considered a perfectly acceptable substitute, as they are the most similar berry. Place the cranberries in a heavy-bottomed saucepan (I used frozen ones — no need to thaw), add sugar to taste, and pour in 2–3 tablespoons of water.
Bring to a boil, crush the berries with a potato masher, and simmer over low heat until thickened to the desired consistency. Let cool — it's actually best to make the jam ahead of time.
Serve immediately, generously drizzled with the white sauce and with a spoonful of berry jam on the side. Mashed potatoes make the perfect accompaniment. Swedish meatballs are a delicious and wonderfully unique main course. Once you've made them at home, there's no need to make a trip to IKEA!)) They are absolutely delicious!
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