Königsberger Klopse

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• ¾ kg minced pork
• 1 roll
• 1 onion(s), finely diced
• 1 small can of anchovy fillet(s) in oil,
• 1 pinch of pepper (aromatic variant, not necessarily very hot)
• 1 pinch of sweet paprika powder
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp caraway seeds
• ¾ liter meat broth or vegetable broth
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 jars of capers
• 175 g butter
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 bags of rice, sticky or to taste (or floury potatoes).
• ½ tsp lovage, dried
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Meatballs: Soak the bread roll in warm water. Add finely diced onion, pepper, paprika, salt, lovage, and caraway seeds to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with ground pork and the egg(s). Pat the anchovy fillets dry, remove any remaining bones with a sharp knife, dice very finely, and then mash again with a fork. Squeeze the anchovy puree and bread roll vigorously, then crumble half a roll over the meatballs first. Mix everything thoroughly. The meatball mixture should be softer rather than too firm if you want the meatballs to be moist. Adjust the consistency with another half of the bread roll or egg, adding a little cold water if necessary. The mixture should rest for at least an hour. Note on using anchovies: 1 1/2 fillets are usually optimal. The finished meatball should have a slight anchovy flavor if you know the meatballs contain “fish.” For those who don’t know, the flavor shouldn’t be too overpowering! Therefore, you may want to reserve a third of the paste and only add it after the resting time and after re-seasoning. Bring the stock to a boil with the cleaned soup vegetables and the bay leaf. Then add the meatballs (size as desired), reduce the heat, and simmer gently until tender. Cooking time: 30-45 minutes. Now add the rice. Sauce: Put 1/2 knob of softened butter in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. The butter should not change color when melting! Add 2 tablespoons of flour and heat gently, stirring constantly (with a whisk), until the foam turns white rather than yellow. Everything should still be thick. Feel free to add more butter or more flour. Remove from the heat. When the meatballs are good (you can share one and taste it), remove them all from the stock. Strain the stock. When the rice is cooked, return the sauce base to the heat (medium heat). When bubbles appear, slowly add the whisked stock while stirring constantly (vigorously), adding only as much as the sauce needs to achieve the desired consistency. This depends on your preference, whether you want the sauce thicker or thinner. Adjust the heat until the sauce is just simmering. Add the meatballs and let them simmer. Add the capers (with or without juice) and lemon juice, and season to taste. Serve the rice and meatballs with the sauce on the plate. A classic side dish: beetroot.