Königsberger Klopse – Traditional Prussian-Style Meatballs with Capers

Preparation

1. 01

   Step 01

   Cut the bread into small cubes and soak in the milk. Leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze firmly with your hands to remove the excess milk.

2. 02

   Step 02

   Finely chop the onion and anchovy fillets. Place the minced beef, squeezed bread, egg, chopped onion, and anchovies in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper and knead by hand for 5-6 minutes.

3. 03

   Step 03

   Shape the prepared mixture into walnut-sized meatballs (approximately 40-50 g). Lightly wet your hands and roll into smooth balls. You should get approximately 10-12 meatballs.

4. 04

   Gentle simmering over low heat

   Bring the water, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and 1 tsp salt to the boil in a large saucepan. Once boiling, reduce the heat; the water should continue to simmer gently, not bubble vigorously.

5. 05

   simmering

   Carefully lower the meatballs into the simmering water. Cook over low heat for 15-18 minutes, keeping the water at a gentle tremble. The meatballs are cooked when they float to the surface.

6. 06

   Boiling

   Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water in a separate saucepan for 20-25 minutes. Once cooked, drain and keep warm on the side.

7. 07

   Step 07

   Remove the meatballs from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Strain the poaching liquid into a bowl; set aside approximately 400 ml for the sauce.

8. 08

   sweating over medium heat

   Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes; the raw flour smell should disappear but it should not take on any colour.

9. 09

   cooking over low heat

   Gradually add the reserved hot poaching liquid to the roux, stirring continuously. Keep stirring until you have a smooth, flowing sauce. Cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes.

10. 10

    Step 10

    Add the capers and lemon juice to the sauce and stir.

11. 11

    Stirring over low heat, do not boil

    In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the cream. Slowly add 2-3 tbsp of the hot sauce to the egg-cream mixture to temper it. Then, stirring continuously, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Remove from the heat; the sauce must not boil, otherwise the egg will curdle.

12. 12

    Warming over low heat

    Return the meatballs to the saucepan and warm them in the sauce for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a serving plate and drizzle generously with the caper sauce. Serve hot alongside the boiled potatoes.