1:50 ... goshhhh that sign means different in India James... well, tapping on nose to be exact... i literally thought IKEA deals with gals and you meant buying them... goshh I got a dirty mind 😶... use a muslin cloth while sieving... much more efficient than spending 10 min just for the filtration... all you need to do is squeeze and done
I don't know if IKEA still offers the summer solstice buffet, which, when I attended it was $20 to enter, but it's well worth it. As far as Koetbullar goes, fortunately the Portland IKEA is right next to the airport, and I've caught myself enjoying a meal there before flying internationally, or after returning from an international flight when I was hungry. Not that I want to make advertisement for IKEA, but their meat ball sauce uses gluten free starch and can be digested without much pain to the gut for most people. I think it's a great offering they have :)
Regarding the mashed potatoes, I prefer on pan/pot options. I boil the potatoes (Yukon Gold) with the skin, and when they're ready, put aside some of the water. I don't use cream, but butter and milk and I use a potato masher in the pot until I get the consistency I like. I want my mashed potatoes to be chunky :)
I like how James shaking his head in disapproval at immature jokes is pretty much a running thing at this point Also the format of cooking the recipe as well as watching the video is nice, it's cool to see you cook
One of the things that I appreciate about chef James is that he doesn’t sink to that level of making those kinds of jokes. it causes me to turn off other channels
Some notes from a happy Swedish amateur chef: - Just raw-stir the lingonberries with sugar and let it sit until the sugar is melted. This adds a bit of texture, especially when serving with mashed potatoes - On the topic of texture - don't be afraid of lumps in the mashed potatoes! I prefer my potatoes *stomped* rather than mashed. Again, gives some texture to an otherwise mushy dish and I also think it enhances the potato flavour, and it goes better with the gravy. - Before putting the balls in the oven - fry them in butter, and then use that liquid in the gravy (you will probably still need to add some broth as well, but this is another enhancer) - Not sure what double fermented soy sauce is, in Sweden I think *most* people use chinese mushroom soy (which may be double fermented, I don't know) - Don't use that much spice.. I think the allspice is a must, but you could leave it out and still call it traditional. Not all Swedes add this (even thought I think they should!)
Also Swedish, I agree totally on all points. But as for the fishy smell Joshua complains about, the classic recipe includes one anchovy to bring out the umami-flavor. There's different opinions on the mashed potatoes, as you I prefer pärstampa. 😁
filrob and peterbockholm (great name, btw) - I agree about texture in both lingonberry jam and smashed (as we call them here in NY), rather than mashed potatoes. As to the meatballs, allspice? Ah, that's the rub. Usually used with some grated nutmeg, so, would that be appropriate/authentic in Swedish meatballs?
The way we used to make meatballs over here, they don't need to be anything fancy. Sometimes we made the meatballs on a simple cast iron skillet and then made the sauce, a simple cream sauce with rosé peppers by just adding cream into the meat juices left over from roasting them on the pan.
You should definitely check out Alex's video when he's served Swedish Meatballs by a Swedish Michillin starred chef. I think this isn't quite a Swedish take on how to do meatballs. Though surely delicious too
I complained a bit in a previous video about just straight reactions, especially for simple recipes. Really happy to see this one. Not only did you make the same dish, but you included a few substitutions which many people at home might have to do depending on their location. Thanks for a great video.
Agree with you, mate! Way too much spice used, we don't use that amount and allspice I have never seen used. Salt, pepper and nutmeg is at least my family's receipt. But sure they tasted much better than the IKEA ones, as they are not edible. Great work as always, James and keep it up! 😀👌🔪
Lingonberry jam needs to have whole lingonberries in it, its just weird if theres none. In fact any jam I've ever seen, apart from some ultra processed american style jams, has whole or crushed berries in it. I'm fairly certain our Finnish jam culture is similar to Swedish. I dont think making a textureless jam falls into the "better" category, I think it just ignores the origin of the recipe. Your jam is of course different because you couldnt get fresh berries haha. I didnt know it would be so hard to get them in Spain, I thought we'd have some kind of exchange going where we trade our lingonberries for Spanish strawberries haha, see those all the time in the supermarket.
its rårörda lingon and not lingonberry jam, a way of preserving them. that doesnt require any boiling@@logirex even though i see that they are saying lingonberry jam is the translation of rårörda lingon id say its wrong. lingonsylt and rårörda lingon are two words to describe different things used with lingon
Having lived in the US for 60 years, I don't recall ever seeing anything labeled or even referred to as jam that didn't have pieces of fruit in. Maybe you're discussing one of the many other countries on the continent.
@@wickywills most of the places I’ve been to serve hot dogs and coffee too. I used to always wanna go with my dad to Biltema almost purely for the hot dogs
Raw stirred Lingonberries is something that is pretty Swedish lol I tried cranberry juice, and to me, it tasted nothing alike, but maybe if you make it in to jam? Never had cranberry jam, but no added sugar in raw stirred lingonberry....
was not a negative hehe, just saying that it might be hard to find, like Smultron, Krusbär and Hjorton might be hard to find if not in Scandinavia as well..@@ChefJamesMakinson
I'm with Joshua on the broccoli, frying it well and good makes all the difference, get as much caramelization as possible without making it soft. Simply can't be made as tasty with any kind of blanching or boiling imo. Hell, I often eat fried broccoli as a meal of it's own, or just fully replacing carbs on the plate.
Awesome 👏 As a suggestion, how about you make another plate with your take on the same thing with the changes you would have made. That would allow the viewer to compare and improve on the recipe and choose which one would one go for.
In Sweden we usually add one or more of this extra ingredients: anchovy, raw or fried onion. If using minced meat (cow) add breadcrumbs and milk/cream that soaked in the breadcrumbs. Otherwise they get to dense. As a side it should be pickled cucumber (thin slices of cucumber, ättika (vinegar with high acidity) salt, suger and dill). Oh, and do not forget to taste up the sauce with some lingonberry!
My mother used to substitute bread with day old mashed potatoes in the meatballs. It tasted pretty good. Not the instant mashed potatoes powder but cooked potatoes mashed.
wow, pickled cucumber.. I'd never thought of this, but it feels very right with this meal. I guess I'll try to smuggle some into our local IKEA for my next visit
As a swede there are things that feels weird about this recepie. Smooth cranberry jam being the strangest of all, but also the use of garlic and broccoli in this dish. In Sweden we serve meatballs with "pressgurka" which is a kind of quick pickled cucumber and of course lingonberries. Not frying the BALLS is also a bit strange. But it's nice to see swedish dishes being made outside of Sweden. Greetings from Stockholm.
Im not quite sure whether Ikea's meatballs contain anchovy or not, but it's quite popular to add it to your meatballs over here. Especially so for christmas. Anyways, it could be the reason they smell a bit fishy. You also want to pan-fry your meatballs. Once you're done, deglaze your pan with some water, and use that for your sauce. Use some store bought stock if you need to, but dont waste the golden opportunity pan-frying presents.
A bit random, but could you maybe make an in-depth video on how to sautee different veggies? With common pitfalls and how to improve? Loved the cookalong/react style
"You don't have to come to Ikea," says Josh, on his way to Ikea. By the way, dried cranberries are a fantastic snack, they beat raisins any day of the week.
All in all Joshua did a good job. I'm half Swedish and my grandmother was a cook before being a stay at home mom. The main differences I see here is that I typically see less allspice, add in a little nutmeg and add in some clove (great flavoring during winter time). I don't use garlic either. I'll accept the cranberries just because it really is difficult to find lingonberries haha. I live near Chicago so I can always find lingonberry jam. Usually only cook on a cast iron as well. No oven time. That's just nitpicking though. I've noticed Swedes aren't quite as bad as Italians when it comes to exact cooking. Also no broccoli. Usually always something pickled as a side.
ryanturner - Good to know about the allspice/nutmeg thing. I had supposed so. As to the garlic, here in the ItalianAmerican habit of NY, far too many cooks/chefs, use far too much garlic in their meatballs. To me, it should just be a kiss, leaving you with a question of 'what is that?', rather than, Wow, that's a lot of garlic. As to lingonberries, on rare occasion, I can find them fresh, but 'rare', is the operative. As to cranberries, if not fresh, then fresh frozen are always available here, and inexpensive as well. As to cast iron, that is what gods cooks with.
i wonder if its a local thing to have mashed potatoes more chunky and not this super smooth paste, i enjoy it more chunky and basic salt pepper nutmeg done
According to a popular chef here in Argentina, mashed potatoes taste better if the potatoes are boiled unpeeled. Second better option, he said not to cut the potatoes in small pieces. It would take longer to boil, true, but the flavour is rewarding. I usually do my mashed potatoes without peeling, and maybe it is just me, but it tastes a bit better.
I leave the skins on (although I cut into large chunks), but I also mash with the skins on & eat the skins. Most of the nutrients are in the skin....the are not noticeable, even my picky niece has never complained.
TheEternaut - Your Argentinian source is correct, on all accounts. One trick, to trip the pony, would be to lightly score the skin, of the lesser circumference. Once boiled, it is a convenient seam, if peeling is desired. As the skins, as to flavor, as to nutrition, as in carrots, and many others, you are correct. The more so, the more important to either 'buy' organic, or grow your own. As to skins, I do get complaints, so what I tend to do, is to peel them once cooked, then to mince the peelings fine, to stir back into the 'mash', of whatever. I do so with apples, for an apple pie in particular. The boost in flavor, is immense, as with mashed potatoes.
Okay. Here is the basic recipe for making Swedish meatballs (yes, I´m a Swede). It is from the very trusted book "Hemkunskap". I wont translate it, so you do your google stuff. 1 portion 100 gr blandfärs (minced pork and beef in about 50/50 ratio) 1 msk ströbröd 2 msk mjölk 1/2 riven gul lök 1 krm salt 1/4 krm vit- eller svartpeppar Mix milk and ströbröd. Let it rest for some ten minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Make small balls out of the mix and fry them in a pan (not in the oven). To make the small balls from the mix, keep the watertap dripping and drench your hands once in a while - it makes your hands not stick to the meatmix. Fry the balls in a fairly hot temperature to get a crispy crust. Prepare to make 100-200 balls at the same time. Freeze the leftovers and revive them in the oven, when needed.
Mr. James, Josh told us dirty jokes in the class again. Give him detention, please~ On that note, your cooking tutorial is as easy to follow as always, chef. I love it when people used common tongues to educate, instead of big words to boast their lexical prowess.
Love your videos. I do like mine lingonberrys just smashed with a hint or no sugar at all. I think that is traditional finnish way to preserve and enjoy them. Tip- You can store smashed lingonberries in fridge for several months. they are full of natural presentative( benzoic acid).
Using my Swedish "Grandfather" recipe - the panade, soak the bread, day-old, slightly dry (torn, tiny cubes, or ground-up) in milk before mixing in the meat mix. Gravy, lighter color, not so much soy sauce, (he used anchovy paste instead)
Thoughts on keeping the pizza stone in the oven like Josh does? I've found it's good to more evenly distribute heat in a non-convection oven, and (if wrapped in foil) can also act to catch any spillovers if you place it right.
My wife keeps the stone in the oven. I only use the oven to finish a steak or chicken, but she bakes a lot. I don't have my own thoughts, but I know her baking is outstanding
I think it is a waste of energy and can affect the air temperature enought to change the cooking time. For convection it is 100% waste. For regular it can actually help, let's say you have heating element in the top and have the stone above - that way you are turning your normal oven into a convection one. For having bottom element and below - it will again block any IR going to the pan, turning into cheap convection oven. So let's be honest: the only good reason to leave it below in a tradition top-mounted oven is being lazy and that is still ok.
If you do not have the time to let the potatoes sit to let off residual moisture, use a can of evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed) and then add cream or half-and-half ideally until desired consistency.
when I season my meatballs for swedish meatballs I make a hot mix with milk, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, nutmeg, allspice onion, salt and pepper. Basically its buttter and onion first until translucent, then garlic, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper for a minute or so, then milk and Worcestershire. That then is allowed to cool a bit before being added to the meat/egg/breadcrumb mixture. It's never steered me wrong, get perfectly seasoned meatballs every time
man you're one of my favourite cooking channels on youtube. your insight is fantastic and very fresh, love these videos way more than the reaction videos, hope you're planning on coming back to them full time :)
I love both types of videos- I crack up when you react to videos especially when make you cringe 😂 These videos are good too hearing your tips and tricks and also why something is done the way it is. Keep up with both 👍
In my family tradition it's not lingonberry jam (i.e. boiled with sugar) but "lingon smush" (just smush them with a fork or something and add sugar to taste). It's supposed to be sweet AND sour component.
I like Chef James. He's an excellent chef and the thing I like the most, is his professionalism, his attention to detail, the way he explains the cooking process in easy-to-follow step by step instructions and also the "scientific" and technical side of the cooking process on how the ingredients counter-act with each other and how to avoid certain pitfalls by mentioning the incorrect methods/techniques that damage the dish, and showing you the correct method of how to correct them, in order to achieve the required result. I think he should be a great culinary arts teacher when he retires. He should open a culinary arts school.
Well done for starting that a home made chicken stock is likely better than a store bought beef stock I use poultry more often than beef, but at the same time, there are few things that please meore than squeezing a chicken carcass into an ice cube tray, which is a great way to keep that stock ready to go when you only need a portion or two for noodles or something
This weekend I made Alex's lasagne/bolognese. Funnily enough there was too much water causing too much sauce so I spooned a good bit out. I wished I had some meatballs for that extra sauce, would have been much better than subway. Next time!
Black or red currant jelly (clear jelly, not chunky jam) is something that is used instead of lingonberry jam, in SWEDEN. Usually only for big more special dinners (with brown gravy). Like oven roasted meats (turkey, pheasant, venison, etc) for a large gathering of people. Not for an every day meatball dinner. It's old fashioned and fancier. At least that's the impression I got from my grandma. This is mostly a TIP for Brits and other Europeans. Red and black currants are even harder to find then lingonberries in stores in the US. Because of the bushes being hosts to some pine tree killing fungus, they were illegal to grow there. Still are illegal in some states
In my family we use aged herring anjovis brine in the meatballs. classic spices for meatballs are all-spice, cloves, onions and pepper either black or white. I use a 50/50 mix pork and beef mince and also i like a little worchester sauce.
I add onion fried in butter, I think with the spices (I usually only add nutmeg and some black pepper) it adds nice sweetness and I fry my meatballs, use the fond to create the gravy. And splash of dark soy sauce for colour. On the side I like to have a selection of pickled vegetables.
mckidney - Agreed. I have found (amongst the many), that the standard Oxo veg peeler, works best, in terms of the 'slightest' peel, being taken. It must be the angle of the dangle, but it does work well, to just 'barely' skin a thing.
I really like these ‘react and make’ videos they feel less judgy if that makes sense. But even more so they allow you to show your experience. I know these are way higher effort that regular react videos but I think they are of more interest and value. I hope they do well and you can make more
Not an IKEA recipe but very delicious: tiny meatballs on a stick/pin with parts of red Union, pickle and Amsterdam unions. Bake*. After baking poor hot Gado Gado sauce over it. Or better, serve with this peanut sauce. On top fried dried baked unions. ...delicious! *Mostly I bake the meatballs before sticking them together with the pickle and unions. Store cold. And when needed just take out of the fridge and bake untill warm or fry them. Serve as mentioned above. Note: You can make a dish out of these when adding Basmati rice and the Gado Gado salat (Indonisian cuisine). ...enjoy cooking!
i know this sounds bizzare but i would reccomend soaking the dried cranberries first overnight at room temp if you want that slight fermentation or put it in the fridge if you dont want it
I know it is a branding thing but we have this exact dish in Finland as well, we call it "meatballs and mash". It is basically mash, meatballs, sauce, lingonberries and pickled cucumbers. Never seen it as a Swedish thing, I mean you can get similar ready-made meatballs from any grocery store 🤷🏼♀️
Great video. Agree with you 100%. I'd tweak Joshua's recipes a little. For the gravy I would actually prefer to use my roast chicken gravy so I'd probably roast a fowl beforehand and use some of the home made gravy.
I've been watching Chef James for quite some time now, and i really need to say how I love the way he's commenting things. Even undeniably awful ones. He's just so polite and careful with his words, that I always, literally always enjoy watching his videos. And though I also enjoy other people's dirty jokes and (sometimes) rude humor, every time I'm bout to watch one of his videos, I'm like 'oh, here we go, finally some blissful peace, thank god'
Sweden here, the classic recipe for the standard Swedish meatball contains one anchovy, it brings out the umami-flavor. I'm unsure of how many anchovy but I think it's just the one.
Greetings from Finland! Well i sure wouldn´t use those spices at the meatballs. My kids love my meetballs and meatloaf, and i usually make same kind of mixture from groundmeet. So the spices i use are smoked paprika, black pepper (grinded) and about desiliter of bouillon. And of course very small bits of onion and two cloves of garlic crushed as paste. I don´t necessary use bread or breadcrums at all (if i make to my self, becouse of ketogenic diet) but one egg never hurts anyone (unless allergic). Well i usually make mashed potatoes that after boiling and getting rid of the water i throw the the butter and salt in to the cattle and i first smash little bit the boiled potatoes with electric mixer and then i´ll pour litlle bit of the milk as i start mixing and i poor it as long that it is silky smooth and if there is not enough salt i´ll season it so that it tastes like heaven in my mouth. Just too shame that i can´t eat it becouse my keto lifestyle, but everyone else can enjoy it. I think lingonberg and cranberries doesen´t have so large difference in taste that it would matter witch you use in the dish. One thing still misses from the dish of Ikea and it is fresh peas. Those are just must in the meatball dish. Then just the regular brown souce with a hint of cream mixed in and it is perfect!
If your doing the traditional way to make meatballs then your supossed to put the bread, milk and egg together mix and then let it sit for a few minutes then you usually add everything else into the bowl and mix everything. Try to not mix for too long or they may become a bit tough or chewy. Then you usually make the meatballs in a frying pan, but it also works to do them for like 10 mins in the oven and then finish them in the frying pan for some nice color and a bit of crunch. Of course you can just make them in the oven but thats usually when your making a large batch or being lazy :D But yeah basically the recipe is minced meat, usually mixed as shown, onion, salt, blackpepper, egg, milk and breadcrumbs. Don't think I've ever seen a recipe with nutmeg outside of for christmas cause then people usually go crazy and make spicy meatballs or add anchovy. Also while I really like garlic it has quite the powerful taste so it's not really added in meatballs since it takes over the taste too much. Also I have no idea what kind of jam that was at the start since usually you just go for lingonberry, water + sugar, usually something like 1 kilogram of lingonberry + 200ml of water and, 0.5 kilograms of sugar. If you wanna be adventurous or get a bit more chunky jam you add no water :D Going for lemons and oranges in this dish is well very adventurous as well I guess xD
Your cranberry limitation is giving me a flashback of having a thanksgiving dinner in Spain, as an event arranged through my study abroad program, and being served blueberry sauce instead of cranberry sauce as apparently all the information the cooks had was 'salsa de arándanos'
When I boil my potatoes, whether it's for basic boiled or to mash, I put butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder (sometimes Italian seasoning and/or a dash of Old Bay..it depends on what I'm making them for) in the pot then add the water and potatoes. Since during the cooking process in when they will absorb the most. I'm real picky about my potatoes.
small note for the title and thumbnail, i kinda saw them and i didn't notice its a 'Chef Makes' video, title drew my eyes to the "IKEA SWEDISH", and thumbnail def doesn't show the 'make' part. i do enjoy chef makes videos and i would love to see these videos of yours spread to more audiences!
I'm going to make this but I like my cranberries with some texture so I'm only going to lightly mash them and skip the food processor. Also I just use my hand mixer to mash potatoes, put in milk butter and salt and it's great
Chef, you should try out Alton Brown’s swedish meat ball recipe - that’s the one i’ve always used - it’s a bit simpler/more authentic and it is delicious!!
I'm sure you can! I remember summer in Washington, we used to make jam with the blackberries, raspberries, and salmonberries. I miss the northwest sometimes.
@@ChefJamesMakinson that’s awesome! Fresh wild picked berries are hard to beat, especially if you make it into a jam. And I’m sure, sometimes I miss Colorado ( my home state). When was the last time you lived in Washington? Do you ever plan on moving back?
really good video, liked that you put your version in and the fine details like the white bit from the orange, that it is bitter was great. i always like the fine details that you mention in videos, most chefs forget to mention it cause i think most think its common knowledge
I've seen, but never gotten to play in, a micro tabletop RPG about being lost in an ikea store. There are several indie horror games about having to navigate an ikea store. There's at least 1 3PP module for D&D 5e on DM's Guild where the dungeon is an ikea store. Someone made a digital-only hack of the boardgame Magic Maze where it's an ikea store instead. The ikea store captivates many tabletop players for some reason...
I just can’t with him. Good for you, James, for cooking up a delicious dish. I am a fan of frozen Swedish meatballs because some nights you really don’t want to cook much.
I see other comments commenting the things I would say. But instead of broccoli, take some pickled cucumber. Not broccoli. And yea, allspice in our meatballs is a bit.. weird. And putting the meatballs in the oven is also a bit unusual. We fry them in a frying pan. And we can make the gravy in the same pan after the meatballs.
Marfona is a good potato variety - creamy, holds its shape well, very amenable and tasty. And when you're next able to get cranberries, may I suggest you try lime, juice and zest, no "pumpkin spice"? Sugar to taste.
Another weekend food idea is done. Thank you for the recreation and for your useful tips. We have lingonberries in Transylvania, so I might be lucky and make the "original" sauce.
@@ChefJamesMakinson The recepie is really good. I have no reference to compare to, but it was nice. And I'm back with some experimentation. I found quite a generous amount of lingonberries, so I made a sauce with them and another sauce with cranberries. I increased the amount of lemon juice for the cranberries and that way the two sauces were almost identical. The raw berries were different, but once cooked and seasoned, I could not thell the difference (minus the initial acidity). Also I added a bit of allspice and cinnamon, because I like those in berry sauces.
Anchovies would be considered correct as a spice for meatballs. IKEA meatballs are widely considered acceptable in Sweden but ofcourse they can't compete with 20$ alternatives. P.S: most of the stock and flour could be replaced by frying the balls in a pan and then using cream to extract the goodness from the pan. I personally use half butter-fried and half raw onions in the meatballs, with peppercorn. No. Bloody. White. Pepper.
James, many thanks for your entertaining videos. You are not just judging, but more important describe why to do and what to avoid. For me as an amateur in the kitchen it helps me to develop my skills and ideas.
I'd use half of the sugar Joshua used if I had to sub with dried berries (maybe even less) because I really am not into sweet stuff... With that said, it's an amazing recipe (I'd go less on the pepper too even though I love pepper)
Also you pickle cucumber with this dish. We call it "pressed cucumber" (roughly translated). Finely sliced, add salt, make it rest. Put in in a strainer. Shake to lose some of the liquids. Place a small plate on it with a weight to press most out the remaining liquids out for 30 min. (therefor the name) Vinegar essence, sugar, water, white pepper, salt to a boil. Add finely chopped parsley and pour it over the cucumber slices. I'm offended. I work in a nursing home for elders in Sweden and cook traditional dishes for 80-100 year olds.
We usually fry them in a frying pan, not in the oven - unless you need to keep them warm after being fried in the pan. Personally, I wouldn't use garlic in meatballs, but I won't object to taking such liberties. Raw onion is ok, but you can also fry it if you like (or fry a part of it and use it together with the raw) before you mix it in, the flavours are different depending on if it's fried or not. Allspice and nutmeg - yes, I won't object. Some also add about two tablespoons of anchovis brine from the can (for a mix large enough to serve four) to enhance the flavours. I think your gravy is ok; a heavy sauce is not necessary and may sometimes make the dish "too heavy". Broccoli with meatballs? No thanks! Pickled cucumber is the thing! 1 dl vinegar (essence 12 %), 2 dl sugar and 3 dl water is what you need for the brine and a cucumber (200-250 gr), parsley and pepper. Slice the cucumber in very thin slices, put the slices on a plate and add a shade of salt to reduce its water content. Let it stand for about 15 minutes before you put them in a sieve. Wipe them off (lightly) with a kitchen towel. Chop the parsley, let cucumber, parsley and a little pepper in a (glass)bowl. Mix the ingredients for the brine together, it should be both sweet and sour. Pour the brine over the cucumber, sprinkle plenty of chopped parsley over it and put it in a cool place for at least an hour before serving. I think it will work well together with the cranberry jam and the creamy potato mash.
Tip for making meatballs. Use Knorr french onion soup dry mixture! It has good onion flavour and all the needed spices. Recipe here: 1 bag Knorr French onion soup (dry ingredients) ½ dl breadcrumbs 1½ dl water (or 2 dl sour cream) 1 egg 500 g minced beef Mix onion soup dry ingredients, breadcrumbs and water (or sour cream). Stir and wait a few minutes for the ingredients to rehydrate from the water. Add egg and minced meat, stir into an even mixture. Form even sized meatballs and set them on an oven tray. Bake the meatballs in the oven at 225°C, for 15-20 minutes.
Not my recipe, this is actually from the back of the Knorr french onion soup mixture bag. :) You could of course other onion soup mixtures as well but the amount of ingredients may need to be adjusted.
I hated using white pepper in school and hate when my dad uses it.. I can’t see it (so I think people who season like me by gut, over season with it) and the flavor is different.. I prefer a peppercorn medley but I only use it for meat, vegetables get peppercorn or ground black..
Interresting with the fish-aroma, it is a Swedish chef-hack to poor the juice of the canned swedish 'ansjovis' into the meatballdough (especially around Christmas, when these 'ansjovis' are used for Janssons Frestelse (a Swedish type of potato-grating, used for special occasions) ..... The factory meatballs in Sweden and at Ikea are a whole different thing then the classic balls here though.... the substance they are made from reminds me of the Dutch 'frikandel'....... and you really need Lingon!!! it is much hasher and acidic then cranberries..... Although I can't call myself a fan of Swedish cuisine, they have some nice dishes and really interresting food traditions I have been studying it for almost a decade as Dutch chef in Sweden...
To add: we would never in a million years serve broccoli with that dish. Pickled cucumber, lingonberries, the cream sauce, nutmeg and white pepper in the mash that is it. NO PANKO NO GARLIC, jesus. ANT NOT THE OVEN. My ancestors are crying.
Exactly! No garlic! And if you can't find lingon, then just skip them altogether and just have the pressgurka (pickled cucumber) as a side. Cranberry puree with meatballs is an abomination and not an acceptable substitute
James - A fun vid, as usual. As to Josh's take on Swedish meatballs, a few things. First, a meatball is a meatball, Swedish, Italian or Italian/American. As well, a meatball is just a meatloaf, in the shape of a ball. It's all the same recipe, distinguished only by herb and pecorino, in the case of Italian/American meatballs, compared to meatloaf, being otherwise of the same ilk. As to Josh's recipe, compared to mine, if you took the volume of onion and bread crumbs in his, and reversed them, you would find mine. Two things I know, to result in a tender, juicy meatball, is firstly, the volume of breadcrumbs, should be close to the volume of ground meat, perhaps a little less. Of course, one egg to one pound of ground (beef, pork or both), and for Italian American meatballs, a healthy dose of grated Pecorino, and some basil and/or oregano, fresh or dry, with more chopped parsley than you would at first, suppose appropriate. Secondly, to use some stock that has been reduced to a firm 'Jello/jelly', when refrigerated. I discovered this when cooking for a friend who was on an extreme 'low fat/low salt' diet, and 95/5 was the fattiest meat I could use, in his case, which by standard recipes, would end up with a 'rubber' hamburger, meatball, meatloaf, sausage, etc. I first added the gel chicken stock, searching for flavor, in a no salt situation. What I discovered, was that such a gel, mixed with whatever ground meat, made quick work of attaining a juicy bit of ground meat, so much so, that even slightly more than 'a little', resulted in a mix that, as ground meat alone, would not hold together, as a hamburger or sausage patty normally might (or any of the rest of it would, if using meat of a higher fat content - 80/20 being standard). It is the equivalent of making a pasta dough, with only egg yolks, or oil. It looks good, but it just won't hold together, as minus water, even if of just the egg white, no gluten will be formed, such as vodka is often used to replace half the water of a pie dough recipe. Theory being, the less gluten formation, the more flaky and tender the crust, and in the case of pasta, in my experiments, how firm to the tooth, fresh pasta could be. Noticed, the more egg yolks, the firmer, but it needs at least the water of one egg white (or from another source, to 8 oz of Semolina), to complete the process of a glutened dough, so as to be useful. As usual, I always learn from your dissections, and get a good laugh from your winces, as well. Thank you for that.
Ikea produced a cookbook some years ago, which I happen to own, so pulled it out of it's hiding place. No fish, or fish products, in the meatballs so not certain where that smell came from. Somehow cross-contaimination from the pickled herring maybe? The recipe Joshua created for the cream sauce, is pretty close to the one in the book.
Milk soaked bread mixed into ground beef is still one of the best tips i ever got for making meatballs. Coconut milk is even better in some cases. It makes the meat more tender also.
The secret ingredient for the gravy is currant concentrate. .5dl would be good for that amount of sauce. It should give a sweet, fruity flavor to the sauce. You can use currant jelly instead, but it's more expensive and not as flavorful.
Hah, this will be interesting as a Swede. I will edit with all the grumpiness 😉 Edit one, not using lingon is like using cream in carbonara.. Edit two, mash too fancy, just chuck butter, milk, salt and pepper in with the potatoes and use a hand masher. 😋 Edit three, use cream 40% fat not milk in the meatballs and soak the bread crumbs with the spice before mixing it with the meat. Edit four, fry them in a pan with butter and use the juice from the meatballs to mix with the roux not stock.. Edit five, Soy sauce? Ok..
Imagine being a Finn, seeing Andong make "Finnish" salmon soup. Ingredient list: Miso, fish sauce, corn starch. Are we Asia or are we in the cold North, mister?
Thanks for the tip on covering the mash with cling film. I don't know why I have never thought of that before. I only have one working burner in my house right now, so I'm a bit of an expert at stovetop chess. haha. But mash is always tricky. I'll try the cling film next time I make a bunch o mash.
Tarmarind sause will make this dish more rich . sweet sour & little bit of spicy goes very well with meat ball . its delicious 😋😋 i eat it once or twice a week .
Okay Swede here. Skipping Lingon berries (Rårörda Lingon) AND pickled cucumber in ättika (Swedish style vinegar) is straight up heresy. We never use Broccoli lol. I get it, it's ikea meatballs.
As a Swed I feel like I’m obligated to nitpick on the recipe. The biggest three issues I have are: 1) he should let the bread crumbs swell in milk for half an hour before mixing them in with the minced meat, that way the meatballs will be moist and yummy, 2) Swedish meatballs should be fried in a pan and not baked in an oven, they should preferably be fried more on one side than the others, 3) the jam should have whole berries in it and not be completely smooth like baby food. I can, however, accept substituting lingonberries with cranberries if you can’t find lingonberries
