Swedish Meatballs
Köttbullar the Swedish way: tender allspice-scented meatballs in cream gravy with lingonberries and mash. Nothing flat-packed about them.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total
- 50 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Real köttbullar are small, tender and faintly sweet with allspice and nutmeg, swimming in a pan gravy built on their own browned bits. The lingonberry jam on the side is not decoration; the sweet-tart against the cream is the dish.
The tenderness comes from a panade, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, and from the restraint not to overwork the mix.
Swedish Meatballs is one of the world's classic dishes from 67 countries.
method
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes.
Mix the meats, soaked crumbs, grated onion, egg, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper briefly, just until combined.
Roll into small balls, walnut size, with wet hands.
Brown them in half the butter in batches, getting good color all around, and set aside; they need not be cooked through.
Make the gravy in the same pan: the rest of the butter, the flour for a minute, then the stock gradually, scraping up the browned bits. Add the cream and Worcestershire.
Return the meatballs and simmer gently for 5 to 6 minutes. Serve with mash, lingonberries and pickled cucumber.
chef's tips
- Grate the onion instead of chopping; it disappears into the meat and keeps the balls tender.
- Mix with a light hand. Overworked meatballs bounce.
- No lingonberries at hand: cranberry sauce is the honest substitute.