Aquavit Swedish Meatballs Food

SWEDISH (IKEA) MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large skillet sauté onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. When onions become translucent, remove pan from the heat and leave them to cool a little.
• In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg, salt, pepper and cooked onion. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, mix until well combined.
• Roll the mixture into 1 ¼-to-1 ½-inch meatballs (ice cream spoon helps to measure the amount needed for one meatball), forming about 24 meatballs.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are browned, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to get rid of any excessive fat.
• To make the gravy, melt butter in the skillet. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
• Gradually whisk in beef broth and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in sour cream; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, and with cooked fresh pasta.

AQUAVIT'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Prepare the Meatballs.
• Combine the bread crumbs and 1/4 cup cream in a small bowl, stirring until all the crumbs are moistened.
• Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
• Add the onion and saute for for about five minutes, until softened.
• Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, combine ground beef, veal and pork, onion, honey and egg, and mix well with your hands (remember Julia--your impeccably clean hands).
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the bread crumb/cream mixture and mix well.
• With wet hands (to keep mixture from sticking) shape the mixture into meatballs the size of golfballs, placing them on a plate slightly moistened with water.
• You should have about 24 meatballs.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the meatballs, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning frequently, for about seven minutes, until the meatballs are browned on all sides and cooked through.
• Transfer the meatballs to a plate and keep warm.
• Discard all but one tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
• Prepare the Sauce.
• Return the skillet to the heat.
• Whisk in the stock, 1/2 cup of cream, preserves and pickle juice, and bring to a simmer.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about five minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through.
• Serve hot with garlic mashed potatoes, lingonberry preserves and pickled cucumbers.

GRANDMA'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the meatballs, tear bread into small pieces. Add the milk and let soak several minutes (stir around).
• Add eggs and beat until mixed.
• Add bread mixture to ground beef along with parmesan, parsley flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper.
• Roll mixture into small balls 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter.
• Place 1/3 cup oil in a pan and sauté meatballs until brown.
• Remove the meatballs from pan, discard the oil.
• For the sauce, in the same pan over low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour and let cook for a few minutes but don't let it brown (should be glossy).
• Whisk in broth and cream and cook stirring constantly until thick and satiny.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in dill.
• Add meatballs to sauce and simmer about 10 minutes, turning several times.
• Serve over noodles.

AQUAVIT'S QUICK PICKLED CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Slice the cucumbers as thin as possible, using a mandoline if you have one.
• If you only have regular cucumbers, slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before slicing.
• Put the slices in a colander and toss them with the salt.
• Let the cucumber sit while you prepare the marinade (or for up to about 30 minutes.
• Combine water, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and allspice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Rinse the salt off the cucumber slices and squeeze out as much moisture as possible, using paper towels to blot them dry.
• Put the cucumbers in a medium bowl and add the marinade (the cucumber should be completely covered).
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate 3 to 6 hours before serving.

SAUCY SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Mix ground chuck, crackers, eggs, and onion. Make into meatballs.
• Place in pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
• While meatballs are cooking during this 30 minutes is a good time to mix up your sauce by mixing the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar.
• Remove from oven and drain excess grease.
• Return to pan.
• Pour sauce over meatballs, and stir to coat all the meatballs.
• Bake another 30 minutes at 350°F until meatballs are cooked through.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Sauce and meatballs, part 1: Start the sauce by adding beef stock to a saucepan over medium-high heat; boil, uncovered, until reduced by half, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs: In a medium bowl, whisk together bread crumbs, milk, allspice, salt, and mustard. Add the egg and whisk again. Allow liquid to absorb into the breadcrumbs, 10 minutes.
• Meatballs, part 2: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place beef and pork in a large bowl (or just beef, if you aren't using pork); add the milk and breadcrumb mixture, and combine well with your hands. Roll into balls, about 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) each, and set aside on the baking sheet. (Use a cookie scoop to measure out the balls, if you wish.) Chill 45 minutes to one hour.
• Sauce, part 2: Add cream to the reduced beef stock. Leave over medium heat, uncovered, until reduced by ⅓, about 30 minutes. (Stay nearby to make sure the sauce doesn't boil over.)
• Potato purée: Add potatoes to a medium saucepan with a big pinch of salt and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until very soft and almost falling apart, 20 minutes. When potatoes are cooked, drain well; then place them back into the hot pot (with the heat turned off) to evaporate any residual moisture, 30 seconds. Run potatoes through a food mill or ricer into a mixing bowl. Add butter and stir well to combine; then pour in the warm milk and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add salt to taste and place back into the the saucepan. Over very low heat, whisk again to release extra moisture in the potatoes. Set aside, uncovered, while making meatballs.(Note: Potato purée can be made a day ahead and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. To reheat, add to pot with a splash of milk and stir over low heat until hot.)
• Sauce, part 3: When the cream has reduced by ⅓, finish the sauce by stirring in the lingonberry jam. Add salt to taste. (Chef Bengtsson suggests adding salt to all sauces after they have reduced.)
• Meatballs, part 3: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. When butter is foamy, add first batch of chilled meatballs in an even layer. Reduce heat slightly to medium-high and cook on all sides until browned on the outside but still slightly pink in the middle, about 5 minutes. Cook remaining meatballs in 1-2 more batches, adding more butter if necessary. If butter browns too fast or starts to burn, wipe out the pan and use fresh butter. (Meatballs can be made in advance up to this point and refrigerated for 5-6 days or frozen in zip-top bags for up to 2 weeks.)
• Assembly: Strain cream sauce into a bowl through a fine-mesh strainer to ensure smooth consistency. Place a big spoonful of potato purée on a plate, along with 6-8 meatballs and a dollop of lingonberry jam. Spoon cream sauce over the meatballs and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.