Swedish Meatballs with Creamy Parsnip Mash
I’ll be honest, most of my experience with Swedish meatballs has taken place in an Ikea. Even more honest? I’ve only seen them on their advertisements near the cafe, you know the one at the top of the escalator. In my defense, I did eat them once during my trip to Sweden in my early 20's. Now, 15 years later I’m finally recreating them in my own kitchen for my family. I remember the tenderness of the meatballs with a hint of warming nutmeg, the creamy gravy that contrasts with the sharp lingonberry preserves, the pillow of mashed potatoes that I’ve replaced with subtly sweet and mellow parsnips. Of course, you can leave out the lingonberry jam if you don’t have it (raspberry or cranberry preserves are equally delicious) and mashed potatoes if parsnips are hard to find. The Swedes know how to fuel up for a proper winter meal!
Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef (you can use all beef in place of the pork if you prefer!)
1 large handful of parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tsp onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, grated
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (we always use blended up stale sourdough bread for our breadcrumbs, but you can use gluten free if needed!)
1 egg
Gravy:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour (you can use cassava flour or gluten free blend for gluten free gravy)
2 cups beef broth (can sub chicken broth!)
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup cream
Mashed Parsnips:
6 large parsnips, peeled and quartered
1-2 tablespoons butter or ghee
a splash of half and half or heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
For topping:
minced parsley
lingonberry jam
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl whisk the egg. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, onion powder, and parsley. Whisk to combine. Add the breadcrumbs and stir. Let the breadcrumbs soak up the egg mixture a bit. Add the grated garlic and stir to combine. Add the ground meat and use your hands to gently combine and knead the mixture together. Use a teaspoon and scoop little balls of evenly sized mixture. Roll them until round (it helps to wet your hands first to keep it from sticking!) and set them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart from each other. Pop in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes depending on what size you made them. They should be nice and browned, but not burnt on the bottom. While they are baking make the parsnip mash and gravy.
First, in a large pot bring water to a boil. You’ll want enough to easily cover your chopped parsnips. Drop in the parsnips and let them cook until easily pierced with a fork. While those are cooking, make the gravy! In a wide skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and use a whisk to stir it every few seconds while it browns. You are essentially cooking the flour! When it’s a nice light golden color add the broth, salt, pepper, lemon juice, spices, and cream. Keep at a simmer and stir frequently while it thickens. When it’s at a thin gravy consistency lower the heat. It will continue to thicken. When the meatballs are done cooking place them in the sauce and coat them. Add the lid and keep them warm while you finish up the parsnips. When they are fork tender, drain the water and put the parsnips back in the pot. Add the butter, a tiny splash of cream, salt and pepper and use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash them until smooth and creamy. If they are too dry add a bit more cream, if they need seasoning add a bit more. Serve the sauced meatballs on a bed of mashed parsnips with a dollop of lingonberry jam and a shower of minced parsley. Enjoy!
