Theo Michaels’ Swedish meatballs
This is easy comfort food at its best, for days when the house is busy and you need dinner on the table quickly.
Swedish meatballs
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1 slice of white bread120ml milk1 white onion, grated6 sprigs fresh dill, chopped 250g minced pork 250g minced beefFreshly grated nutmeg, to taste1 egg2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce: 10g butter1 tbsp plain flour300ml chicken stock, or make up using a stock cube100ml double cream 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce1 tsp cider vinegar1 tsp runny honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
To serve: 250g fine green beans, trimmedMashed potatoLingonberry preserve, or cranberry sauce
Method
1. Tear the bread into small pieces, put into a small bowl and pour over the milk. Leave to soak.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated onion, dill (reserving some to garnish), minced meats, nutmeg, and egg. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix together.
3. Gently squeeze out the excess moisture from the milk-soaked bread and add it to the meat mixture. Mix together and then roll into ping pong-sized balls.
4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs for 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate (they don’t have to be fully cooked).
5. In the same pan, add the butter and scrape the burned bit from the base of the pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the stock, return the pan to the heat and whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
6. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients and return the meatballs to the pan along with any juices. Gently simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered, to finish cooking the meatballs through.
7. Meanwhile, set a clean frying pan over a high heat and drop in a knob of butter. Sauté the green beans for 2-3 minutes before adding a few tablespoons of water, cover the pan immediately and leave to steam for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and finish with a little more butter, and season with salt and pepper.
8. Arrange each portion of meatballs in a bowl of mash with some sautéed beans on one side. Spoon over the warm sauce, season with freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of dill, add a dollop of lingonberry or cranberry preserve and serve.
Potato crisps
Ingredients
Vegetable oil Potato peelingsSaltPinch of oregano or paprika
Method
1. Heat a frying pan with 1 inch of vegetable oil to cover the base. Once hot (about 180oC) drop in the potato peelings and stir for a few minutes until crisp.
2. Remove the peelings with a slotted spoon, and place them over a kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil.
3. Season with salt and a pinch of oregano or paprika and serve, hot or cold.