Königsberger Klopse (Veal Meatballs in Caper Cream Sauce)

Ingredients

• 600 g ground veal
• 4 anchovy fillet, finely mashed
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 60 g breadcrumbs
• 1 dl milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 1 l chicken stock
• 2 bay leaf
• 40 g butter
• 40 g wheat flour
• 1½ dl heavy cream
• 3 tbsp capers, drained, brine reserved
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. 1.

   Mix the veal filling — Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes, then squeeze out most of the liquid. Mix them with the veal, mashed anchovies, half the onion, the egg, salt, white pepper and allspice, working the mixture with your hands until it turns tacky and holds together.

2. 2.

   Roll the klopse — With wet hands roll the mixture into 12 balls the size of a small egg, pressing each one firm so it will not fall apart in the broth.

3. 3.

   Poach in the stock — Bring the stock to a bare simmer in a wide pan with the remaining onion and the bay leaves. Slide the klopse in and poach for 15 minutes, never letting it boil, until they float and feel firm. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and strain the broth.

4. 4.

   Make a pale roux — Melt the butter in the empty pan, whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. The roux must stay pale blond — any colour and the sauce loses its white finish.

5. 5.

   Build the caper sauce — Whisk in 700 ml of the hot broth a ladle at a time and simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the cream, the capers with a tablespoon of their brine and the lemon juice, then taste — it should be clearly sharp and salty.

6. 6.

   Finish in the sauce — Return the klopse to the sauce and warm through for 5 minutes without boiling. Serve in deep plates with boiled potatoes, spooning plenty of the caper sauce over.