Swedish meatballs, or köttbullar, are one of the best-known dishes of Swedish home cooking. They are served with mashed potatoes, lingonberry sauce and pressed cucumber.

The recipe was shared by Swedish chef Stefan Ekengren on the Köket.se cooking website.

The chef’s secret is crushed ice in the mince, which keeps the meatballs juicy. Prepare the cucumber first, as the pickling liquid must cool completely.

What you need

For the meatballs:

  • mixed minced beef and pork — 500 g;
  • breadcrumbs — 75 ml;
  • water — 50 ml;
  • milk — 50 ml;
  • salt — 1.5 tsp;
  • crushed ice — 50 ml;
  • onion — ½;
  • butter — 30 g;
  • egg — 1;
  • black pepper;
  • butter and rapeseed oil — for frying.

For the lingonberry sauce:

  • beef stock — 300 ml;
  • lingonberries — 200 ml;
  • sugar — 3 tbsp.

For the mash:

  • potatoes — 800 g;
  • cream — 300 ml;
  • milk — 200 ml;
  • butter — 50 g;
  • salt and nutmeg.

For the pressed cucumber:

  • cucumber — 1;
  • 12% vinegar — 50 ml;
  • sugar — 100 ml;
  • water — 150 ml;
  • salt.

How to make it

1. Prepare the cucumber. Slice the cucumber thinly, salt it and place in a deep plate. Cover with another plate and a weight so the cucumber releases its juice.

2. Make the pickling liquid. Bring the vinegar, sugar and water to the boil and let it cool completely. Drain the liquid from the cucumber and pour the pickling liquid over it.

3. Mix the mince. In one bowl mix the mince, ice and salt. In another mix the breadcrumbs, water, milk and egg and leave for 10 minutes so the crumbs swell.

4. Add the onion. Finely chop the onion and fry it in butter until soft. Combine the mince, the breadcrumb mixture and the onion, season with pepper and roll into meatballs.

5. Fry the meatballs. Put the unpeeled potatoes on to boil. Fry the meatballs in a mixture of butter and rapeseed oil and set aside.

6. Make the sauce. Pour the stock into the same pan and add the sugar. Reduce a little, strain into a small saucepan and add the lingonberries.

7. Make the mash. Drain the potatoes, peel them straight away and press through a ricer. Bring the cream, milk and butter to the boil, whisk into the potatoes and season with salt and grated nutmeg.

Serve the meatballs with the mashed potatoes, lingonberry sauce and pressed cucumber. If you cannot find fresh lingonberries, frozen ones will do.

As a reminder, in October we made Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

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