Königsberger Klopse

Königsberger Klopse is a traditional German dish from the East Prussian city of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). This hearty and comforting recipe consists of flavorful meatballs, simmered in a rich and creamy white sauce made with capers. This dish came to my attention through a good friend called Ewout. His mother would make these meatballs on a regular basis for him. I adapted the recipe to my liking and the products available in my area so this will not be a truly authentic version (sorry Ewout’s mom), yet very delicious. Usually, it would be served with egg noodles or potatoes, but I prefer to eat this dish with white basmati rice. 

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Step 1
‍Start by chopping the parsley and add ⅔ of the chopped parsley to the ground pork, together with the yellow mustard, pepper, and salt to taste. Mix the ingredients well and portion into meatballs (about 40 grams each).

Step 2
‍Fry your balls on (very) high heat until they firm up and have some browning all around. They don’t have to be completely cooked, because this will happen in the sauce. Set them aside. Now is also a good moment to start with your rice, potatoes, or pasta; cook according to the package instructions.

Step 3
‍Put a “pasta” pan on medium heat and add your butter until molten, then add the flour and fry this for about 2-3 minutes while continuously whisking. Now it is time to add the milk, but per 100 ml, until the sauce starts to thicken. When you added all the milk you can add your broth all at once and let it simmer on low heat.

Step 4
‍Now it's time to add the meatballs, the Worcestershire, and the capers to the sauce. While the meatballs are simmering, we will fry the mushrooms in a hot skillet with some oil or butter until golden brown. Add the mushrooms to the sauce.

‍Step 5
‍Taste the sauce to check for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and Worcestershire to your liking. Serve the sauce with your carb of choice and top with the remaining parsley. Enjoy!

Chefs tip: "The meatballs can be swapped for pieces of chicken thighs (optional in combination with crispy bacon bits). This makes the recipe even quicker and if you discard most of the chicken-fat, you can poach the chicken in the sauce without browning it. This way of cooking ensures super juicy/tender chicken pieces with almost no effort!"