Scandi Meatballs with Creamy Comfort Mash

This dish for me is the literal definition Hygge, and the perfect choice for a warming supper by the fire, when its dark and miserable outside. It’s a dish of pure comfort and cosiness, far more nurturing than Ikea’s incarnation, and definitely no Allen Keys required!

Preheat oven to 200C/180 fan oven

Scandi Meatballs with Creamy Comfort Mash

Recipe by Gemma SimmoniteCourse: MainDifficulty: Medium

Ingredients

  • 30g breadcrumbs

  • 400g minced beef

  • 250g minced pork

  • 1 large free-range egg

  • 2 tablespoons of plain flour

  • 1 small onion finely diced; it may be easier to grate.

  • A pinch salt for seasoning

  • 1 teaspoon of ground allspice

  • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon of white pepper

  • A dash of Worcestershire sauce

  • CREAMY MASHED POTATOES
  • 1kg of baking potatoes (Marfona are my favourites, and my preference albeit a subversive one, over a floury potato)

  • 50g salted butter

  • 4 tablespoons of warm milk

  • A good dollop of extra thick double cream

  • Salt, white pepper, and freshly milled black pepper to taste

  • CREAMY GRAVY
  • Meat juices from the meatballs

  • 1 tablespoon of plain flour

  • A good slug of double cream

  • A knob of butter

  • salt and black pepper for seasoning

Directions

  • Mix the meats with a good pinch of salt, then mix well with your hands, even easier is if you have a meat hook attachment on a free-stand mixer.
  • When fully incorporated together, add the egg, flour, spice, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, and grated onion. Mix really well, and leave to chill for about 25 mins, this will make shaping them a lot easier.
  • Shape the cooled meat into meatballs, damp hands will make the process a little easier – I’ve always found children are a valuable tool at this point, something about rolling a meatball is universally satisfying. They should be around 2.5cm in diameter, golf ball size. (If you wanted to get ahead, this is the stage you could freeze your meatballs.)
  • Spread your meatballs out in a large roasting tin, they will brown better if spaced out.
  • Drizzle with a tiny amount of oil, shake a little to coat, then roast for 20 -25 minutes until browned.
  • Keep the fat from the pan, as you’re going to need it for the gravy.
  • CREAMY MASHED POTATOES
  • Peel the potatoes, cut into evenly sized quarters, and put in a large pan of cold salted water – I choose cold as this ensures they cook evenly. They’re ready when a sharp knife inserted slips out easily, around 15 mins, but may need longer.
  • Drain them thoroughly and return to the pan for mashing.
  • Season to your taste preference – this is the time to overlook the salt police…
  • Warm the milk and pour into the mash with your butter. A great tool is a potato ricer, this little gadget is fairly inexpensive, and will ensure your mash is super soft and lump-free.
  • When suitably mashed, add your double cream to taste, season again, and maybe one last knob of butter, but I would leave this nearer to serving time.
  • CREAMY GRAVY
  • In a small frying pan, sizzle the butter, add the flour and whisk until emulsified, then add a little of your leftover meat juices and whisk again until it starts bubbling. Keep adding stock until it becomes a gravy, at the end add the double cream and season to taste.
  • TO SERVE
  • like to serve this dish with little dollops of lingonberry jam, a little sprig of fresh dill, and lashings of the creamy gravy.

Notes

  • Preheat oven to 200C/180 fan oven
  • I like to serve this dish with little dollops of lingonberry jam, a little sprig of fresh dill, and lashings of the creamy gravy.

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