Swedish meatballs
Swedish meatballs are small balls of mixed meat in a smooth cream sauce. The soaked bread keeps them juicy, while the aromatic spices give them a distinctive flavor, and their doneness is confirmed after simmering in the sauce.
Additional 15 min — resting and preparation
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Prepare the bread and onion
Soak the bread crumbs in milk for 5 minutes, then mash. Finely chop the onion, sauté it with 20 g of butter for 7-8 minutes until soft, then cool. There should be no large raw pieces of onion in the prepared meat mixture.
Mix and chill the meat
Mix both minces, the soaked bread with all its milk, onion, egg, allspice, nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Combine evenly without overworking and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Pan-fry the meatballs
Shape about 35 evenly sized small meatballs. Fry in vegetable oil and 20 g butter in batches for 5–6 minutes per batch, turning to brown all over. Transfer to a plate; the centres may need further cooking.
Make the sauce base
In the same wide pan, melt the remaining 30 g of butter. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes until a light-brown color. Gradually stir in the stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
Simmer in the butter sauce
Add the cream, soy sauce, and mustard. Return the meatballs with their juices and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. The center of the largest ball should reach 71 °C.
Thicken the sauce
The sauce should coat the meatballs and fall from a spoon in a broad ribbon. Stop reducing once thick enough. Serve hot with the gravy; lingonberry jam, mashed potato and herbs are not included.
Little hint
Allspice is a specific spice, not a mixture of whatever spices are available. Cool the cooked onion first: hot onion would prematurely cook the egg and meat, while large raw pieces make uneven meatballs.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
Allspice is a specific spice, not a mixture of whatever spices are available. Cool the cooked onion first: hot onion would prematurely cook the egg and meat, while large raw pieces make uneven meatballs.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Soak the bread crumbs in milk for 5 minutes, then mash. Finely chop the onion, sauté it with 20 g of butter for 7-8 minutes until soft, then cool. There should be no large raw pieces of onion in the prepared meat mixture.
