Remembering the Hansens

Swedish Meatballs

The Bredimus Family in Oakland, New Jersey, was blessed to have the Hansen Family for neighbors. Mrs. Hansen operated a Smorgasbord Restaurant called the Hansen House. One of the Bredimus children's favorite items on the menu were the Swedish Meatballs. In honor of the Hansen Family, here is a similar version of this classic dish:

To serve 8
1large baking potato, peeled and quartered
1/2 pound butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 pound lean boneless beef, ground twice
1/2 pound lean boneless pork, ground twice
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg
3 tablespoons soft fresh crumbs made from pumpernickel bread, trimmed of all crusts and pulverized in a blender or finely shredded with a fork
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
1/4 cup finely cut fresh dill leaves, or substitute 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
Freshly ground black pepper

Drop the potato quarters into a small saucepan filled with enough boiling water to cover them completely and boil briskly until they are tender and show no resistance when pierced deeply with the point of a small, sharp knife. Drain off the water and slide the pan back and forth over low heat for a minute or so to dry the potatoes completely. Then transfer the potato quarters to a deep bowl and mash them to a smooth puree. with the back of a fork.

In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, add the onions and, stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent but not brown. With a rubber spatula, scrape the entire contents of the pan over the potato puree. Add the beef, pork, 1/2 cup of the cream, the egg, pumpernickel crumbs, parsley, allspice and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and knead the ingredients together.

Then, with a large wooden spoon, beat the mixture vigorously until it is light and fluffy. To shape each meatball, scoop up 1 tablespoon of the mixture and pat and roll it into a ball about 1 inch in diameter; you should have about 90 meatballs.

In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with 2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat. Add the meatballs, a dozen or so at a time, to the hot fat, turning them frequently with a spatula and regulating the heat so that they color richly and evenly without burning. As each batch browns, transfer the meatballs to a platter and add 2 more tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet.In another skillet melt 2 more tablespoons of butter over moderate heat. Add the flour and mix to a paste. Stirring constantly with a wire whisk, pour in the chicken stock in a thin stream and cook over high heat until the sauce comes to a boil, thickens and is smooth. Lower the heat, stir the remaining1/2 cup of cream into the sauce, and add the dill, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper.

Add the meatballs and the liquid that has accumulated around them to the skillet, and stir gently until the meatballs are evenly moistened with the sauce. Simmer partially covered for 10 minutes, until the meatballs are fully cooked and no trace of pink shows when they are pierced deeply with the point of a small knife. Taste for seasoning and serve at once from a heated bowl or deep platter.