Königsberger Klopse
Thanks to unique flavor and richness of the special sauce, the Prussian speciality became famous all over the world.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 ½ lbs. ground veal or beef
- 2 stale rolls
- 4 cups warm water
- 1 small onion
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp. bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp. coarse Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- ¼ tsp. to ½ tsp. anchovy paste optional
Cooking Broth
- 5 quarts water or beef broth
- 1 tbsp. coarse Kosher salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 7 whole all spice
- 3 large onions
Gravy
- 5 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon flour
- 3-4 tbsp. sugar
- 4-5 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp. capers from a jar
- 1-2 tsp. caper juice
- 5 egg yolks
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- Place the bread rolls into a bowl and cover with warm water. Allow them to soak for 10–15 minutes. Drain and press out the excess liquid. Add the bread to a large bowl and discard the water.
- Finely chop the onion.
- Add the onion cubes, ground meat, eggs, bread crumbs, anchovy paste (optional), salt, and pepper to the large bowl. Knead the mixture with your hands until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Shape 16 meatballs and set them aside while you prepare the cooking broth.
Cooking Broth
- Add water or beef broth, bay leaves, allspice, and salt to a large pot.
- Cut onions into eighths and add also to the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a light simmer, add the meatballs. Simmer on medium heat for about 10 - 15 minutes or until fully cooked. Make sure that the liquid is only simmering not boiling.
- Remove meatballs from the liquid.
- Strain the liquid into a bowl. Remove spices and discard them. Keep onions and about 4 - 5 cups of the cooking liquid.
Gravy
- Add butter to the pot and melt over medium heat.
- Stir in flour until lightly brown.
- Add about 3 cups of the cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Mix well to remove any lumps.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in heavy cream. Make sure the liquid is no longer boiling. Add more liquid if the sauce is too thick.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. To temper the egg yolks, add half a ladle of the sauce to the egg mixture, then add it to the pot and mix well.
- Drain the capers and keep the liquid. Add the capers, lemon juice, and vinegar to the pot. Season with 1-2 tbsp. of the caper liquid, salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the onions and the meatballs back into the sauce and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
One portion consists of two meatballs with gravy.
Make sure you don´t boil the sauce after you added the egg yolks, the sauce would separate.
Nutrition
Yield: 1PortionCalories: 695kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 31gFat: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gNet Carbohydrates: 22g