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Swedish Meatballs with Sour Cream and Dill Sauce -- Elegance from
Ground Meat!
Although based on ground meat, this dish is
considered elegant in Sweden and elsewhere in Scandinavia. Called Köttbullar (pronounced
SHAWT-bool-ar), Swedish meatballs can even serve as a wedding dish or on the
Christmas smorgasbord.
Ground turkey, surprisingly, works well
for making this treat, though veal, pork and beef, or a combination are
traditional. (IKEA, which sells tons of frozen Swedish meatballs, makes theirs
with pork plus beef.)
The recipe serves six as a main course, with
boiled or steamed potatoes, noodles, or lightly salted rice. Peas are an
attractive side dish. The classical condiment is Lingonberry sauce (sold at
IKEA).
1/4 cup quick or old fashioned oatmeal
(not traditional, but works well)
1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs (or
3/4 cup freshly made crumbs, packed)
1 small-medium onion
1 small clove garlic
2 tablespoons oil or butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoon salt
3/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (or
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract)
2 pounds ground turkey (the original is
veal, pork, beef, or a mixture)*
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons
dry dill weed) plus dill sprigs for garnish
In food processor, pulverize oatmeal (or
chop it on cutting board with chef’s knife). Place it in a mixing bowl. Measure
crumbs and add to oatmeal. Cut onion into pieces and place in the food
processor along with the garlic. Pulse and scrape down to mince finely. (Alternatively,
mince onion and garlic finely with a chef’s knife on a cutting board.) Fry onion-garlic mixture in oil or butter,
stirring frequently, until limp but not browned. Add this mixture to the bowl. Add
the eggs and lightly beat them with a fork. Add salt and spices and mix
everything well. Add meat and combine thoroughly, kneading it with your hands. If
desired, chill the mixture for easier shaping.
Roll into 1 to 1-1/2-inch meatballs,
depending on preference. (A small ice cream scoop helps make same-sized
meatballs.) Wet hands occasionally so meat sticks less to them. Set meatballs
on an oiled tray until needed. Heat a pot with water 2-1/2 inches deep. Add 1 teaspoon
salt. When boiling, add meatballs (half at a time, if necessary, so as not to
crowd them). Simmer 12 minutes, gently stirring from time to time, after the
meatballs float. With slotted spoon, remove meatballs to a bowl to cool,
covering top loosely with waxed paper. Boil the poaching water down, uncovered,
to reduce to about 3 cups of broth. Meatballs and broth can be refrigerated
(separately) or even frozen at this point.
To finish the creamed meatballs, skim any hardened
fat off broth. Heat together the meatballs and enough broth to come near the
top of the meatballs, carefully stirring from time to time until gently boiling.
Gently stir in sour cream. Heat just until simmering. Taste sauce and add salt
if desired. Add a little black pepper. Remove from heat and stir in minced dill.
Serve in casserole or chafing dish. A few
sprigs of dill can be used to garnish, if desired.
*note:
If using ground veal, pork, and/or beef, add 2 tablespoons milk or water
to meatball mixture at the same time as the eggs.
