Swedish Meatballs From A Swede Recipes

AUTHENTIC SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet.
• Saute onions in the butter until golden.
• Soak the bread crumbs in the milk.
• To the bread mixture, add the meats, egg, onion, allspice, salt, and pepper. Mix until a smooth texture is achieved.
• Chill mix for an hour or so, to firm it up.
• Form mix into meatballs, using 1-2 tablespoons of meat per ball. (these should be smaller than a golf ball). If you are making these on a warm day, you might want to chill the formed balls again, so that you don't get flat sides when you fry them.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Melt a small amount of butter (traditional) or oil in the pan.
• Add enough meatballs to fill the pan very loosely.
• Shake the pan as you fry the balls, to keep the round shape as they cook. Continue to cook until they are evenly brown on all sides.
• Remove each batch to a warm platter in the oven, as you fry the rest.
• If you wish to make the gravy, deglaze the pan with a little water after each batch, and reserve the resulting drippings in a bowl.
• For the gravy:.
• When all of the meatballs have been fried, mix the flour and cream (or milk), and add to the reserved pan drippings in the skillet.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• If the mixture is too thick, add a bit of cream (or milk) to thin, then taste and season with salt and/or pepper as needed.
• Pour gravy over warm meatballs and serve with boiled potatoes and lingonberry sauce.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS (SVENSKA KOTTBULLAR)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the bread crumbs into a small bowl, and mix in the cream. Allow to stand until crumbs absorb the cream, about 10 minutes. While the bread is soaking, melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until it turns light brown, about 10 minutes. Place onion into a mixing bowl; mix with the ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Lightly mix in the bread crumbs and cream.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pinch off about 1 1/2 tablespoon of the meat mixture per meatball, and form into balls. Place the meatballs into the skillet, and cook just until the outsides are brown, about 5 minutes, turning the meatballs often. Insides of the meatballs will still be pink. Place browned meatballs into a baking dish, pour in chicken broth, and cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove meatballs to a serving dish.
• To make brown gravy, pour pan drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the pan drippings until smooth, and gradually whisk in enough beef broth to total about 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Bring the gravy to a simmer, whisking constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. Just before serving, whisk in the sour cream. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve the gravy with the meatballs.

JAMIE OLIVER'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Set aside a few of the herbs, then put the rest into a large bowl with the pork, beef, egg, milk, breadcrumbs and allspice. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, then get your clean hands in there and scrunch and mix it well.
• Divide the mixture in half, then pat and roll each half into a sausage shape. Cut each one into 15 equal pieces, then wet your hands and roll 30 little balls. Keep wetting your hands as you go so you get nice round elegant meatballs. Put them on a large oiled tray, then cover with clingfilm and pop into the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
• When you're ready to cook, put your largest pan on a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Once hot, add the meatballs and fry gently for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are golden brown.
• Transfer the meatballs to a large plate. Spoon away any excess fat from the pan, then add the lemon juice, a splash of stock, the flour, the cream, a heaped tablespoon of lingon berry or berry jam and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and reduce until you have a nice consistency that will cling to the meatballs. Taste it, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Return the meatballs to the pan and move them around so they get coated in the sauce.
• Serve your meatballs - eight per person is about right - drizzled with any lovely sauce left in the pan and with a few spoonfuls of warmed-up jam on top.