Swedish meatballs

September 23, 2017

I brought some lingonberry jam back with me from Sweden this year and it has sat sadly in the cupboard for months waiting for inspiration to strike. Lingonberry jam isn't really used like strawberry or raspberry jam - you don't smear it on toast or have it with scones - it's more commonly used as an accompaniment to savoury food like fried herring, potato pancakes or, of course, meatballs.

While we were in Stockholm last year, friends had made us a classic Swedish meal - new potatoes, (veggie) meatballs, greens and lingonberry jam - it was one of my favourite memories of the trip and I decided to spend a quiet Saturday arvo trying to replicate it. A bit of googling around turned up this recipe on Rabbits and Wolves, which ticked all of my boxes. We paired it with the lingonberry jam, boiled potatoes and green beans. It was a wonderful meal - the meatballs were a bit squishy, but held together pretty well and got a decent char on in our hot cast iron pan. The coconut-y gravy is rich and creamy - perfectly paired with the sweet and tangy lingonberry jam. We'll definitely make this meal again, when Melbourne's winter has me dreaming of a Swedish springtime.

Swedish meatballs
(slightly adapted from Rabbits and Wolves)

300g packet of tempeh
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used a single weetbix, crushed up)
1/2 cup polenta (in place of panko crumbs)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying (we used peanut oil)

gravy
1/4 cup Nuttelex
1/4 cup flour
2 cups of veggie stock
1 tablespoon tamari
400ml can coconut milk
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the ground flax seeds and water together to make a vegan egg. Combine it with all the meatball ingredients in a food processor and process them into a smooth paste. Add more water if the mix is too dry.

Shape the tempeh mixture into small balls (no bigger than a golf ball). 

Heat some oil in a cast iron pan until it's very hot and fry the meatballs on each side until they're nice and browned. We had to do ours in two batches, but it will depend on the size of your frying pan. Remove the meatballs from the frying pan and set aside.

Wipe the pan clean and start on the gravy. Turn the heat down to low and melt the Nuttelex. Whisk in the flour until it forms a roux. 

Whisk in the stock, tamari, coconut milk, mustard and vinegar - add things in slowly so you can whisk it all together well. Turn the heat up and bring the sauce to a simmer. Hold it over a low simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the gravy thickens right up.

Season the sauce to taste and add the meatballs. Serve with potatoes, beans and a generous spoonful of lingonberry jam.