Swedish meatballs with mash and gravy

I’m not ashamed to admit that those addictive Swedish meatballs at IKEA inspired this recipe! After fighting my way through the maze of furniture, I always look forward to a big plate of meatballs doused in gravy with creamy mash and some lingonberry sauce on the side. It has since become my lazy weeknight comfort food that takes no time to make.

INGREDIENTS

salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

handful dill, finely chopped

lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce, to serve

POTATO MASH

800g dutch cream potatoes, peeled and quartered

100g butter

60ml milk

MEATBALLS

25g butter

80ml olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

250g minced pork

1 egg, lightly beaten

20g fresh breadcrumbs

250g minced beef

SOUR CREAM SAUCE

10g butter

2 french shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons plain flour

250ml vegetable or beef stock

250g sour cream

METHOD

To make the mash, put the potatoes and a pinch of salt in a large saucepan and fill with water until the potatoes are fully submerged. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer, until a knife can easily poke through the thickest part of a potato, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and put the potatoes back in the saucepan. Add the butter and milk and mash until smooth. If the mash is a little too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk or a knob of butter. Season with salt and pepper, put the lid on and keep warm.

To make the meatballs, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let it cool, then add the meats, egg and breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper, then knead until well combined.

Using damp hands, roll a tablespoon of mixture into a ball, place on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat until all the mixture has been used.

Preheat the oven to 100ºC. Heat the remaining oil in the same frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the meatballs, in batches, until evenly browned all over, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in the same frying pan over a medium heat, sauté the shallots until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and keep stirring for 2 minutes to cook the flour taste out. Add the stock and stir until smooth. Scrape the base of the pan to dislodge any caramelised bits. Add the sour cream and stir to mix well, let it simmer over a medium–low heat for a few minutes until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper and pour into a jug.

Serve the meatballs over the mash, pour the sauce over the meatballs then sprinkle with dill and serve with lingonberry jam on the side.

#billman #meatballs #sweden #lingonberry #cranberry #potato