Helga’s meatballs with lingonberry preserves, pickled cucumbers and braised cabbage
Serves 4-6
Photograph: Romas Foord for Observer Food Monthly
INGREDIENTS
For the lingonberry preserves (makes about 650g)
lingonberries 100g (available from scandikitchen.co.uk)
sugar 450g
water 950ml
For the pickled cucumbers
cucumber 1
sea salt 1 tbsp
water 360ml
white wine vinegar 120ml
sugar 225g
bay leaf 1
allspice 2 berries
For the meatballs
dry breadcrumbs 60g
double cream 60ml
red onion 1 medium, finely chopped
olive oil 2 tbsp
ground chuck or sirloin beef 225g
ground veal 225g
ground pork 225g
honey 2 tbsp
egg 1
salt 1½ tbsp
black pepper ½ tbsp
unsalted butter 3 tbsp
For the sauce
chicken stock 480ml
double cream 120ml
lingonberry preserves 165g (see above)
pickle juice 2 tbsp, from the pickled cucumbers (see above)
salt ½ tbsp
black pepper 2 tsp
For the braised cabbage
bacon 225g, diced
onion 100g, sliced thin
carrots 75g, sliced thin
red cabbage 300g, thinly sliced
green cabbage 300g, thinly sliced
apple cider vinegar 60ml
salt 1 tbsp
black pepper 2 tsp
DIRECTIONS
To make the lingonberry preserves, combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low flame and simmer until a syrupy consistency is achieved, then cool.
To make the pickled cucumbers, use a mandoline to thinly slice the cucumber. Put in a colander, toss with the salt and stand for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and allspice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Rinse the salt off the cucumber and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Put the cucumber and pickling liquid in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 3-6 hours before serving.
To make the meatballs, in a small bowl soak the breadcrumbs in the cream, then set aside. In a frying pan over a medium heat saute the onion in oil for about 5 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat.
Combine the ground beef, veal and pork with the onion, honey and egg, and mix well with your hands in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the soaked breadcrumbs and combine well. With wet hands (to stop the mixture sticking) shape into meatballs the size of a golf ball, placing them on a plate lightly moistened with water. You should have about 24 meatballs.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches and cook, turning frequently, for about 7 minutes. Be sure that all sides are browned and the meatballs are cooked through. Transfer them to a plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon of fat from the frying pan for the sauce.
To make the sauce, in the meatball frying pan whisk together the reserved fat, stock, cream, preserves and pickle juice and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer and reduce until thickened. Season to taste. Add the meatballs to the sauce, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
To make the braised cabbage, cook the bacon over a medium heat until the fat has no colour. Add the onion and carrot, and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the cabbage and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Finish with vinegar, salt and pepper.
To serve, place the cabbage on a plate and top with the meatballs. Spoon some sauce over each individual meatball. Serve with the lingonberry preserves and pickled cucumbers on the side.