Friday, May 2, 2014

"kk" means Königsberger Klopse



A dish you might want to try before you move your cooking outdoors for the summer is Königsberger Klopse: meatballs in gravy.  Savory meatballs, of course, date back to the Middle Ages, or further. Those known as Königsberger Klopse were invented in the city of Königsberg around 200 years ago.

Königsberg, once the capital of East Prussia, today is known as Kaliningrad, Russia.  It is not to be confused with the less famous Königsberg in Bavaria or with Königsberg in der Neumark (now known as Chojna in Poland).  Kaliningrad is a seaport city and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian "exclave" located between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea and geographically separated from the rest of Russia.  Unlike Königsberg, Kaliningrad does not have yummedy meatballs named after it.


Ingredients

3/4 lb. veal, ground
3/4 lb. beef chuck, ground
1/4 lb. pork, ground
2 small hard rolls
1/2 cup light cream
1 medium onion, chopped
6 Tbsp. butter
4 anchovy fillets (You can eyball fillets and use equivalent paste, but 
                         paste has added salt/vinegar, and maybe not 
                         as strong a flavor.  Fillets are about 1 1/2", 
                         so 1 1/2 to 2" paste should work.)
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Lemon juice
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
5 cups beef bouillon
1 cup dry white wine
4 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 small skinless/boneless sardines
1/3 cup drained capers

Have the beef, veal, and pork ground twice.

Break up the rolls and soak them in cream for 10 minutes.  Then press out the excess liquid.

Melt 1 tbsp. butter and saute onion, chopped fine, until lightly browned.

Combine meat, moistened rolls, sauteed onion, and anchovy in a blender.  Then add the eggs, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp. of lemon juice, the Worcestershire, 1 tbsp. of the parsley, and the marjoram.  Mix thoroughly and shape into 12 balls.

Heat the condensed beef bouillon and dry white wine in a deep skillet or pot.  When the liquid is just boiling, carefully drop the meatballs in, reduce to a simmer, and cook 15-20 minutes, covered.  Then remove the meatballs from the stock and keep them hot while you make the gravy.

Mix the dry mustard and flour, and cream with 4 tbsp. butter.  When the roux is smooth, add enough of the hot stock to make a thin paste free from lumps.  Turn up the heat under the stock and add the roux, stirring until smooth and boiling.  Mash the sardines with 1 tbsp. of butter and then stir into the gravy blending well.  Add the drained capers, 1 tbsp. of parsley, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. When all is blended, add the meatballs, reheat, and serve.

Most will serve this with boiled potatoes and pickled beets, but I recommend spätzle noodles with the beets or cole slaw.

*Adapted from Morrison Wood’s Cooking with Wine