Königsberger Klopse (German Meatballs in Caper Sauce)
Königsberger Klopse are traditional German meatballs cooked in broth and served in a creamy white caper sauce. A classic German comfort food recipe served with boiled potatoes.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 786kcal
Ingredients
German meatballs:
- 1 medium onion about 150 g/ 3.5 oz
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 9 oz ground beef
- 9 oz ground pork
- 4 oz white bread without crust
- 1 large egg
- 1 small bunch parsley
- 1 tablespoon capers from a jar
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste Note 1
- fine sea salt and white pepper
- 4 ¼ cup beef broth
Caper sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon capers from a jar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ cup crème Fraiche Note 2
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- fine sea salt and white pepper
Instructions
Königsberger Klopse:
- Cook onions: Chop the onion very finely. Heat the butter in a nonstick pan and cook the onions until translucent. Set aside and let cool until you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the meatballs.1 medium onion + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Heat broth: While you prepare the meatballs, start heating the broth in a relatively wide pot.4 ¼ cup beef broth
- Soak the white bread in a little water. Squeeze the bread well to remove the excess water and place it in a bowl.4 oz white bread without crust
- Meatball mixture: Add the ground meat, onions, egg, chopped parsley, finely chopped capers, anchovy paste, and generously salt and pepper. 9 oz ground beef + 9 oz ground pork + onions + 1 large egg + 1 small bunch parsley + 1 tablespoon capers + 1 teaspoon anchovy paste + fine sea salt and white pepper
- Shape the meatballs: Mix well with your wet hand until the mixture is very smooth. To make sure that the meatballs have enough salt, place a very small one in the simmering broth and taste it. Add more anchovy paste, salt, and pepper, if necessary.
- Cook the meatballs: Form the meatballs with wet hands (about 20) and cook them for about 10 minutes in the simmering broth. Remove from the broth with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
- Measure broth: Sieve the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and measure out 2 cups/ ½ liter, which you will need for the sauce. Use the remaining stock to make a soup or something else the next day.
Caper white sauce:
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Sprinkle the flour in the pan and cook shortly while whisking. Slowly add the sieved broth while whisking constantly. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour + broth
- Simmer sauce: Bring to a boil and add the finely chopped capers, lemon juice, crème Fraiche, white wine, and sugar. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Let simmer on very low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.1 tablespoon capers + 1 tablespoon lemon juice + ½ cup crème Fraiche + 1 cup dry white wine + 1 teaspoon sugar + fine sea salt and white pepper
- Thicken the sauce: Stir the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of water, add 2 tablespoons of the sauce, and stir well. Pour the mixture into the sauce in the pan while whisking continuously.2 egg yolks
- Simmer meatballs: Add the meatballs to the sauce and let simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes without letting the sauce come to a bubble anymore.
- Serve immediately with boiled potatoes and vegetables. We had peas, but traditionally you would serve cooked beetroots.
Notes
- Anchovi paste: It is optional, but traditional and recommended. The meatballs will not taste fishy; the anchovy paste only adds a slight saltiness and depth of flavor.
- You can substitute the creme fraiche with sour cream.
Nutrition
Serving: 5meatballs with sauce | Calories: 786kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 316mg | Sodium: 2247mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g