Meatballs with Caper Sauce (Konisberger Klopse)

Königsberger Klopse (Meatballs with Caper Sauce)

Königsberg, a former German city in East Prussia (now Russia), is the homeland of these hefty meatballs. Traditionally they come with mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, and beet salad.

Instructions

Make meatballs:
Quarter roll and in a small bowl soak in water to cover by ½ inch until just softened, about 10 minutes. While roll is soaking, finely chop onion and put in a large bowl. Squeeze water from roll and tear roll into crumbs over onion. Add spices, meats, and yolk and mix with hands until just combined (do not overmix). With wet hands form mixture into 8 large meatballs.

Preheat oven to 250° F.

In a 5-quart kettle bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil and carefully add meatballs. Return water to a boil and simmer meatballs until cooked through, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer meatballs to an ovenproof platter and reserve 2 cups cooking liquid for sauce. Keep meatballs warm, loosely covered with foil, in oven.

Make sauce:
In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add hot reserved cooking liquid in a stream, whisking to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 8 minutes. Whisk in capers, sugar, lemon juice, and pepper and salt to taste. In a small bowl lightly beat together yolks and milk and whisk into sauce. Cook sauce, whisking, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160° F., about 30 seconds (do not let boil).

Pour sauce over meatballs. Serves 4.