Recipe: Swedish Meatballs with Thyme, Green Cabbage, and Lingonsylt (Cowberry, Lingonberry or Cranberry Compote)

the appetizer:

The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trina Hahnemann, includes recipes like Elderflower Cordial; Smørrebrød (Smoked Cheese Salad on Rye); Biff Lindström; and Meatballs with Thyme, Green Cabbage, and Lingonsylt.

Cookbook

Meatballs with Thyme,
Green Cabbage, and Lingonsylt

Serves 4

Meatballs are a national favorite in many countries and served in many different ways. I grow lots of thyme in my small urban backyard from May until September, so I have it right at hand. Instead of boiling cabbage to serve with the meatballs, I prefer to pan-fry it in butter so that it stays crisp and retains its nutty taste. Cowberries (called lingonberries in the United States) grow in cold areas and are very sour, like cranberries. You therefore need to cook them with a lot of sugar, but I still like to keep the taste quite fresh and sour.

1-1/2 pounds ground veal and pork mixture
1 small onion, minced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Generous 1/3 cup sparkling water
Salt and pepper
1-1/2 pounds new potatoes
Olive oil
About 3 tablespoons butter
1 green cabbage, quartered
Cowberry Compote (below)

Mix the ground meats, onion, thyme, and eggs together and beat well. Stir in the bread crumbs and flour and beat again. Mix in the sparkling water and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Place in an ovenproof dish and mix with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 1 hour, or until tender.

Meanwhile, use a spoon and your free hand to shape the meat mixture into small round balls. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and some olive oil together in a large skillet and cook the meatballs on all sides until golden brown. Transfer the meatballs to a baking dish and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Once the meatballs are in the oven, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet and pan-fry the cabbage in it for a couple of minutes on each side of the wedge. Sprinkle with pepper and serve the cabbage together with the meatballs, potatoes, and cowberry compote.

Cowberry (or Cranberry) Compote

2 pounds fresh or frozen lingonberries
(cowberries) or cranberries
3/4 cup water
3 cups superfine sugar

Combine the berries and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes, skimming the froth from the surface.

Add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then boil for 8 minutes. Pour the hot compote into a large sterilized preserving jar (or some small jars). As soon as it is cold it is ready to eat. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.