Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar) in Cream Sauce with Mashed Potatoes

In a large bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with 100 ml of the milk and let stand for approximately 10 minutes, until soft and moist. Meanwhile, prepare the onion and potatoes as directed in the next steps. The breadcrumbs soak while you prepare the other ingredients, so this does not add any extra waiting time.

Chop the onion very finely. Melt 10 g of the butter in a deep 28 cm skillet and cook the onion over medium-low heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent, without letting it brown deeply. Transfer to a plate, spread in a thin layer, and let cool slightly while you put the potatoes on to cook. Keep the skillet for browning the meatballs and making the sauce.

Cut the peeled potatoes into approximately 3 cm pieces, place in a 4 l pot, and add 2000 ml of cold water. Add 8 g of the salt, bring to a boil, and cook over moderate heat for approximately 20 minutes from when the water starts boiling, until a knife slides easily into the center of a piece. Shape and brown the meatballs while the potatoes cook; as soon as the potatoes are tender, drain all the water and do not leave them sitting in the cooking water while you finish browning the meatballs. Return the drained potatoes to low heat for 1–2 minutes, gently shaking the pot to let excess moisture evaporate, then remove from the heat and cover until ready to mash.

Add the cooled onion, ground meat, egg, 6 g of the salt, 1 g of the pepper, and all the ground allspice to the soaked breadcrumbs. Mix by hand just until evenly combined; working the mixture for too long will make the meatballs dense. Divide the soft mixture into 24 evenly sized portions and roll into balls approximately 3.5–4 cm in diameter. Arrange on a large plate or tray, leaving small gaps between them.

Melt 10 g of the butter in the reserved skillet over medium heat and add 12 meatballs in a single layer, with space between them. Cook for approximately 6 minutes, carefully turning several times, until evenly golden brown; they do not need to be cooked through at this stage. Transfer to a clean plate, add the remaining 10 g of butter allocated for browning, and brown the second batch in the same way; both batches, including transferring them to the plate, will take approximately 15 minutes. Lower the heat if the butter starts getting very dark, and leave the browned bits in the skillet to flavor the sauce.

After removing the second batch of meatballs, add 30 g of the butter to the skillet, sprinkle in the flour, and stir over medium-low heat for approximately 2 minutes, until a light brown roux forms. Gradually pour in the broth, whisking vigorously and loosening the browned bits from the bottom to keep the sauce smooth. Pour in the cream and soy sauce and add the remaining 1 g of pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes, until slightly thickened and beginning to coat the back of a spoon.

Return all 24 meatballs to the sauce with any juices from the plate, arranging them in as close to a single layer as possible. Simmer without a lid over low heat for approximately 10–12 minutes, keeping the sauce gently bubbling and turning the meatballs halfway through; make the mashed potatoes from the next step while they simmer. Cut open one of the largest meatballs: it should be very hot and steaming inside, evenly cooked through, without any pink raw meat, and the juices should run clear. If the center is not yet cooked, simmer for a few more minutes; the sauce should stay creamy and coat the meatballs, not boil vigorously.

While the meatballs simmer, heat the remaining 200 ml of milk in a small saucepan until hot, without bringing it to a boil. Pass the still-warm, drained and steam-dried potatoes through a ricer or mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Add 40 g of the butter and the remaining 2 g of salt, then gradually pour in the hot milk, stirring with a spoon just until the mash is smooth and soft. Do not use a blender and do not stir for too long, so the potatoes do not become gluey.

Divide the mashed potatoes among 4 plates, add 6 meatballs to each, and spoon over the cream sauce, using all the sauce across the portions. Add 20 g of lingonberry preserves alongside each serving. Serve immediately while the meatballs and mashed potatoes are hot.