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German Meatballs with Lemon Caper Sauce

Introduction & method

These meatballs originated in the city of Königsberg, which used to be in East Prussia, was in Poland for a while and now belongs to Russia. Many countries have their own version of meatballs, but what makes this recipe unique is the lemon and caper sauce that goes with it. Very tasty!

German Meatballs with Lemon Caper Sauce Recipe

Make the Meatballs


Peel the onion and grate it or finely chop it. Mix it together with the meat, breadcrumbs, egg, mustard and anchovy paste. Mix well and form into small meatballs. In a large saucepan, add the bay leaf to the stock and bring it to the boil. Reduce to just below a simmer and add the meatballs - you want them in a single layer if you can. Pop a lid on the pan and cook the meatballs for 15 minutes. When the meatballs are cooked, put them in a heatproof dish and place them in a low oven to keep warm. Bring the stock to a rapid boil and let it reduce to about 60%.

Make the Sauce


Melt the butter in a frying pan or skillet, and sift in the flour. Mix well and cook gently for a couple of minutes. Add the stock, the wine, the lemon juice and zest and the capers. Let them cook for about 5 minutes. Add the cream, stir it in well and test for seasoning.

Serve


Serve the meatballs with boiled potatoes and pickled red cabbage. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and potatoes. Garnish with chopped flatleaf parsley.




 

Ingredients & Info


MEATBALLS
 450 grams minced veal, beef or pork (or a mixture)
 1 small onion
 1 egg
 50 grams breadcrumbs
 1 tsp mustard
 half a tsp anchovy paste (optional)
  SAUCE
 1 litre chicken stock
 1 lemon zest and juice of
 200 ml double (heavy) cream
 50 ml dry white wine
 1 tbsp capers
 1 bay leaf

PLUS

Chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish


UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Makes about 8 meatballs
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Total time: 30 minutes.