Konigsberger Klopse

Try saying that with your mouth full:). I think it means the Mountain King's meatballs in German though there seems to be a few stories as to what and why they are called this.  But let's just stick to what we know - they are meatballs and they are delicious and worth a bit of fiddling around.  I am joining in again this month with The Cookbook Guru book club, and this month's book is by the well-loved Margaret Fulton who is cracking 90 not out.  Her family has produced 3 generations of cooks, including her sister Jean Hatfield, with her granddaughters taking over the mantle in recent times. Their mum Suzanne Gibbs, Margaret's only child is also a well-known cook.  A real family dynasty of fabulous cooks! This recipe is from Margaret's Encyclopedia of Food & Cookery, first published in 1983.  So, long before all the TV shows and the celebrity chefs, Margaret was travelling and searching out new recipes, and demonstrating new dishes in department stores.  (Have a look at her autobiography; it is a great read.  She was a bit of a naughty girl!).  There are anchovies in this dish, which must have sounded pretty wild at the time - in meatballs? - but they are only noticeable as an added saltiness, not a fishy slap in the face.  I am mad about sauerkraut, and always serve these with it as suggested by Margaret, but you could just have mashed potatoes, and some steamed greens.
Margaret's recipe actually calls for simmering the meatballs in a pan of stock, but I like the added flavour and the ease of just whacking them into the oven to bake.   I have also added a few extra flavourings to give it a bit more of a modern twist.

ingredients:

for the meatballs:

750g. of beef mince (or you can ring in the changes by using a mixture of veal, pork and beef)
3 slices of stale, white bread soaked for 10 minutes in cold water, then squeezed out with your hands
1 onion finely chopped
5 anchovy fillets, mashed with a fork
2 eggs
2 tbs parsley, chopped finely
1/4 cup Cornflake crumbs
1/4 tsp lightly dried chilli flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
a few dashes of ground nutmeg
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
about ten grinds of black pepper

for the sauce:

30g. butter
1/3 cup diced onion
1+3/4 tbs flour
800mls stock - take your pick - I used chicken but use whatever takes your fancy
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs capers, rinsed and shaken dry
2-3 tbs sour cream

Method:

Grab a large bowl- in goes the minced meat and all the other ingredients for the meatballs
Give this a really, really good mix with your hands (I use gloves)
Shape into golf-ball sized globes (you should get about 24 meatballs)
Place on a baking tray lined with paper (you will need 2 trays)
Bake for 20 mins. at 180C

Sauce:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan
Add the onion and fry till golden but not brown
Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture, and give it a good stir
Keep stirring while the roux thickens - make sure it doesn't burn
Cook out the flour for a few minutes
Pour in the stock and stir, and keep stirring for a few minutes more till it has thickened
Add the lemon juice and capers
Gently drop the meatballs into the lemony sauce and allow to simmer away for 15 mins., giving it an occasional stir
Stir in the sour cream and serve with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes

gathering ingredients 

ready to mix up and make into balls   

lots of squelchy squishing

here come the balls:) 

rolling rolling rolling, keep those balls a-rolling 

rolled and ready to bake

baked!

Yes they are a bit leaky 'cos I ran out of lean mince and had to use some of the mince I normally feed to the kookaburras!  And why the King and Queen, you may ask?  The Mountain King of course!

saucy ingredients 

adding flour to the butter and onion  

stirring in the flour 

stock added and simmering away  

dropping the meatballs into the sauce (excuse fuzzy night-time shot)

spooning in the sour cream to finish off the dish    

serve with sauerkraut and mash for a very hearty winter's meal 

(Remember that song we all used to sing as kids?)

On Top of Spaghetti

 

On top of spaghetti, 
All covered with cheese,
I lost my poor meatball, 
When somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table,
And on to the floor,
And then my poor meatball,
Rolled out of the door.

Don't let this happen to you:)

(Lyrics by Tom Glazer).