Nordic-style meatballs

Today I’m bringing you a recipe for a very handy dish, one that always goes hand in hand with some good bread for dipping: meatballs. But this time we’ll pair them with a sauce different from the usual one. We’re going to make meatballs with a Nordic sauce, which I think is the best way to debut the new Nordik nonstick pan by Bra.

This recipe is inspired by Swedish meatballs, or Köttbulllar, a popular dish from the Nordic countries that is usually served with sauce, as well as mashed potatoes and Swedish-style pickled cucumber slices.

Since olive oil was not traditionally available, the meatballs were fried in butter. To make them lighter, we’ll fry them with a little olive oil, and we’ll do it in the same pan where we’ll cook the sauce.

We’ll take advantage of the great benefits of the Nordik pan, which also has a design and colors that I love. These are perfect pans for everyday use, because they’re very easy to handle, nothing sticks thanks to the nonstick coating, and they help us cook faster thanks to their excellent heat distribution. Without a doubt, Nordik pans offer great value for money!

Shall we start with the recipe? Then take note of the ingredients and let’s get to it (below you’ll find the video recipe to follow step by step).

Nordik pan by Bra

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 450 g minced meat
• 1 small fresh spring onion or 1/2 large one
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Salt to taste

For the sauce:

• 25 g butter
• 3 tbsp wheat flour
• 400 ml mushroom or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 200 ml cooking cream
• salt to taste

Preparation

For the meatballs:

1. To start, chop the onion (the smaller the better) and also chop the parsley.
2. In a bowl, add the meat, onion, parsley, garlic powder, brown sugar, nutmeg, ground pepper, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt.
3. Mix well so everything is combined, and with your hands or with the help of meatball tongs, shape balls that are more or less the same size (you’ll get about 16-18).
4. In the Nordik pan by Bra, add a layer of oil (if you want to make them in the more traditional Nordic style, use butter), and fry the meatballs, turning them to make sure they cook on all sides, then set them aside covered on a plate or tray.

For the sauce:

1. Clean the pan to remove the oil and frying bits, add the butter, and let it melt.
2. Then add the flour and stir so everything is well combined until the flour starts to toast.
3. Pour in the hot stock little by little and stir well with a whisk or spatula so no lumps form. Let it thicken slightly, stirring constantly.
4. Add the mustard and soy sauce, and stir until well combined.
5. As it starts to thicken, add the cream, a little salt, and stir again to blend everything well.
6. Add the meatballs and, if you like, you can add a little dill and fresh parsley before serving.

Nordik pan by Bra

You can serve them with a few spoonfuls of fairly thick mashed potatoes, or with cooked white rice, and you’ll have a very complete one-dish meal. And to make them truly Nordic, serve them with a few cucumber slices. Enjoy!