Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients

• 400 g beef mince
• 300 g pork mince
• 60 g breadcrumbs
• 120 ml milk
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 60 g butter
• 30 g plain flour
• 500 ml beef stock
• 150 ml double cream
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• lingonberry jam, to serve

Method

1. Soak the breadcrumbs

   Soak the crumbs in the milk for five minutes until they collapse into paste. This panade is what makes Swedish meatballs so much softer than an Italian one.

   5 min

2. Mix with a light hand

   Combine both minces with the soaked crumbs, onion, egg, allspice, nutmeg and plenty of salt, mixing only until it comes together. Allspice and nutmeg are what make them taste Swedish rather than merely meaty.

3. Chill, then roll small

   Chill the mix for 20 minutes, then roll into balls about 3 cm across — smaller than you would think. Fry in half the butter, in batches, turning until browned all over, then set aside.

   20 min

4. Build the sauce in the pan

   Add the rest of the butter and the flour to the pan and cook two minutes, scraping up the browned bits, then whisk in the stock gradually until smooth.

   5 min

5. Cream and season

   Stir in the cream and soy sauce — the soy is for colour and savoury depth, which is a common Swedish trick — and simmer until it coats a spoon. Return the meatballs to finish cooking through.

   10 min

6. Serve

   Serve with mashed potato and a proper spoonful of lingonberry jam. The sharp fruit against the cream sauce is the whole point; without it the plate is monotonous.