Thursday, June 23, 2011

Summertime Swedish Meatballs: Lamb, Mint, Saffron Cream


Generally speaking, I despise chain restaurants.  I hate the idea of all that  sameness  turning America into one big Land of the Bland. It's depressing. I have no desire to ever visit a Ruby Tuesday or a Panera Bread or a Chipotle.  Twice I have resorted to Boston Market take out in a pinch, and I felt dirty after. Once, many years ago, I ate at a Red Lobster, and I am still trying to scrub the greasy memory of that overcooked scampi out of my soul. I don't think I'm a food snob (well, maybe a little), but mainly I just don't want to be able to get the exact same thing wherever I go. It's boring and lame.


Why am I telling you all this? Well, for all that ranting I just did, there is one chain restaurant meal I get a guilty jones for now and then, and you have probably guessed it from the title of this post: the Swedish meatballs with gravy and lingonberries at Ikea. There is something so attractive and weird about that plate of pellet-like balls, all nestled together, smothered in flavorless gravy.  Maybe it's the novelty. I mean, how many other cafes at big box furniture stores can you think of? Or maybe it's because the whole thing is so darn Swedish. But kind of not. (For the record, they make Poppa Trix sick to his stomach.)

Partly because it annoys me that I like it, and partly because going to crowded stores like that always puts me in a wretched mood, I decided to make my own version of Swedish meatballs in gravy, with a summertime twist. And so I came with these lamb and mint meatballs with saffron cream sauce, topped with dried cranberries and pea shoots. By Jove, I think I've done it:

But I do have a confession to make: I made these so long ago that I meant for them to be called "Springtime Meatballs," and I did that thing ... you food bloggers know that thing I'm talking about. That thing where you say: "Oh, I'll write all the amounts and things down later. Anyway, I'll totally remember what I did." And then you don't write it down, and weeks later when you go to write up the post, you find that the memory ... she  ain't what she used to be.

Which is to say that this recipe is very approximate.

I roughly followed Michael Ruhlman's ratio for meatballs: 1 pound of meat (lamb), 1 egg, .25 ounces salt, 1/2 cup diced onion sauteed with a few garlic cloves, 2 slices of bread soaked in milk, squeezed dry, and shredded, a few grinds of black pepper, and 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs - in this case I used mint. Loosely form the meatballs and dust with flour. In a cast iron skillet, fry them over medium heat  in high smoke point oil until brown on all sides.

Remove the meatballs from the skillet and set aside. Deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup white wine and simmer until reduced. Add 1/4 cup chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon or two of butter and 1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream, along with a very healthy pinch of saffron. Taste for seasoning, and if the sauce is too thick add some more chcken stock; if it's too thin keep simmering to reduce. Add the meatballs back into the sauce and baste them, cooking until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve with a garnish of dried cranberries and pea shoots. Ikea's got nothing on me!





19 comments:

  1. We just love lamb, and this is new one for me swedish style I love that creamy sauce... I wished you lived near me so I could be your test tester your hubby so lucky! xoxo nice job Trix lovely presentation as always!

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  2. Oh here you go being fancy again :)

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  3. Homemade always the best! I bet papa Trix going to be very happy. The colour of the sauce is excellence. I love the presentation very much. Thanks for sharing. Hope you're having a great day.
    Kristy

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  4. Your meatballs surely look better than IKEA's... and the flavors are not very Swedish! Regarding memory... I acknowledged my loss of it some time ago already, so I try to write the ingredients and times down soon after making the recipe, but that used to happen to me too, lol.

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  5. Springtime, summertime, I think these meatballs work anytime!! They look amazing! And beautiful photos. I prefer yours even though I love the IKEA ones too.

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  6. I can eat Swedish meatballs without stopping.

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  7. LOL... Trix, I do that 'thing' too and then have a good old fret later when I can't remember the exact measurements (disastrous in baking!). I never knew Ikea served up these lamb meatballs, and your version with cranberries and saffron sauce takes it to haute cuisine level. I swear, your Ikea store cafe is way better than our Ikea over on this side of the globe!

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  8. Oh, what a gorgeous presentation! These lamb meatballs sound outstanding...and I can totally relate to forgetting all the little tweaks I do to a recipe!

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  9. How could you ever go back to Ikea once you've had these? Just lovely. Amazing even. And how funny that this week we BOTH took our turn at fixing up a chain food item. The thing I love the most about you is that you are so much like me. Mwah.

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  10. I'm with you on the chain restaurant food. Around here, we refer to it as "bucket food" -- because most everything you're served in chains comes out of a bucket. Red Lobster is the one I find particularly offensive -- probably because I live on an island with access to fresh seafood aplenty.

    Now...on to your meatballs...so gorgeous! Than kfully, I don't see any resemblance to those served at Ikea (I'm with Poppa Trix)...your plating is fantastic...

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  11. Ikea has a lot of good things, I tried the meatballs once-it's part of the experience. I do like meatballs, your last picture is a bit torturous for us meatball lovers ;-). I really like the lamb too, I think you've put a major tweak on what I remember from The Ikea meatball experience, great job;-)

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  12. I love the flavours you've put together here - so hearty, yet so exquisite. These are super sophisticated meatballs, for sure!

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  13. Oh girl, you do put Ikea to shame... it is amazing how many people drool over those babies. I love the idea of saffron added... if for anything that color... no more beige! I do like lingonberries, though. A friend brought them back from a trip to the old country and I loved them... but then I have a soft spot in my heart for meat and berries (starting with liverwurst and raspberry jam as a child--yes, I still love the combo). The pea shoots are gorgeous.

    My stay away forever moment happened the summer I scouted NYC CHinese restaurants for a movie... I haven't set foot in one since and have enjoyed becoming a Chinese cook when I'm in the mood.

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  14. Those meatballs look so fancy and tasty!

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  15. I have never been to Ikea, too big for me, but I love meatballs; yours of course. I also loved your ranting , saved me from having to say it, and you were so eloquent!
    The Aleppo folks make a meatball dish with tart cherries that easily rivals the Swedes.

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  16. I had Ikea meatballs here in Melbourne. It is OK but I remember when I was younger, it was such a treat!

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  17. Mint and saffron cream...excellent choice! I love your version of Ikea's cafeteria staple, which I enjoy too. And the cinnamon danishes, and the green almond paste dessert in the freezer. Great now want to go to Ikea ;-)

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  18. Lovely take on those meatballs.

    My theory on IKEA food: by the time I've wandered through the warehouse, becoming overwhelmed by the volume of stuff I could be buying, I'm at a point of low resistance and high gratitude (for a place to sit down). It's the shopping equivalent of the appeal of canned soup after a day-long hike.

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  19. Julie...Julia...who needs them!! We have Trixie

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