No pictures today but y’all ought to be able to imagine meatballs in your head. I’d give you links to the original recipes but these are kind of a mash-up of several recipes to incorporate different ideas from different (but genuine) Swedish cooks.
It all started a few weeks ago when Dad was whining that I make too much Mexican food. I don’t, but anything with any spice in it is “Mexican” to him. Bear in mind that this includes Indian, Italian, Spanish and once, French food. Why didn’t I make any good old Swedish food?
So I did.
julköttbullar (Swedish meat balls)
ingredients
1 pound ground beef (.45 kg)
1 pound ground pork (.45 kg)
1 small onion (about 1/4 cup grated onion), grated or whirled around in the food processor
1 large egg, beaten
about 1/2 cup of heavy cream (1 dL)
2 pieces bread whirled around in the food processor (about 1 cup/2 dL fresh bread crumbs)
salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon, each, cinnamon, ground ginger and ground cardamon (a heavy pinch)
Whirl the bread up first and dump it in the bowl, then whirl the onion. In a bowl, mix bread crumbs, cream, onion, egg, salt and pepper and the cinnamon, ginger and cardamon. The amount of flavor that the small amount of spices give the meatballs is amazing.
Put the pork and beef in the food processor with the blade attachment. Add the bread crumb mixture and whirl around until well mixed (and looks gross). (edit: allow the meat mixture to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 an hour before forming balls)
You can fry or bake your meatballs. I used the mini-muffin pan method. Roll meatballs lightly in your hands – roughly a large walnut size. Place one in each mini-muffin cup. You will have leftovers since I can’t ever get the amount right. Do what I’m going to do – make meatballs and freeze them to cook another time – or bake a second batch.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes, until browned on top.
Serve with lingonberry jam (like you will ever find that) or cranberry sauce. Interestingly, none of the “real” Swedish meatball recipes I found had them swimming in that brown sour cream sauce.
kokt potatisgratäng (potatoes au gratin)
Can you picture escalloped potatoes, too? These were honestly incredible. I know that escalloped potatoes are easy to make – but mine always fail. Not enough milk, too much milk, potatoes that just won’t cook, etc. These are obviously once in a while potatoes. As in only as often as I can find excuses to make them.
ingredients
2 extra large or 4 medium-ish potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds, I think), peeled and sliced thinnish
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2-3 cloves of garlic, smushed and minced
1 cup heavy cream (235 ml)
1 cup whole milk (why cut the fat at this point?) (235 ml)
1 heavy pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425°F (225°C).
In a large saucepan, saute the onion with a heavy pinch of salt until soft, add garlic and saute a couple minutes more, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the milk and cream and bring to a boil. The mixture should taste a little too salty.
Add the sliced potatoes (do not hold them in water first, you’ll lose the starch and you want that) to the milk mixture and softly boil for 10-15 minutes. The potatoes should be tender but not mushy and the starch will have thickened the cream sauce some.
Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish that has been oiled or sprayed with non-stick spray. Push the potatoes around in the casserole until more or less even.
Bake for 30 minutes or so. Keep watch that the top doesn’t brown too much, cover if necessary. Potatoes will be tender, top will be golden brown and the sauce will be lovely and thick when done.
[note: I made the potatoes with fat free half and half and while it was still tasty, it was no where near as creamy and didn’t develop the golden caramelization you get with the full fat version.]
The fact is that I made the meatballs and the potatoes at the same time, so I fudged around with the temperatures. I started the potatoes at 425°F and cooked them about 15 minutes, then turned the oven down to 375°F when I put the meatballs in the oven. The meatballs took a good half hour and the potatoes were done at the same time at the lower temp. Just saying.
Chickens & Eggs 