Served with a toffee-coloured sauce, these meatballs are a cultural experience

Swedish meatballs or köttbullar as they’re meant to be – hand-rolled, ­walnut-sized orbs sitting in a pool of creamy sauce the colour of pale toffee.

Lennox Hastie’s Swedish meatballs

There’s a strange sort of Stockholm Syndrome at work when you wander through IKEA. You go in simply looking for storage solutions to ­organise your life, and before you know it you’re lost in the labyrinth. Suddenly, you’re a captive of Swedish ingenuity and a maze of flat-packed veneer, resulting in you buying far more than you’d bargained for. The whole process is exhausting, so you might well find yourself drawn by the promise of Swedish ­sustenance from the cafeteria. But while you’ll find gravlax and Swedish meatballs alongside the prerequisite “schnitty”, the offering is a far cry from my warm memories of Stockholm.

When you step into the Swedish capital’s Östermalms Saluhall, it feels less like a market and more like a cathedral to food. Within its majestic brick arches, which have stood since 1888, Swedish food shines. Stalls glisten with shellfish, pickled herring, wild mushrooms, and wheels of cheese sharp with age. The air is thick with the perfume of smokehouses and bakeries, and the hall is filled with a distinct buzz as people go in search of delicious things to eat.

Swedish smörrebröd is a curious term, because the word itself is more closely associated with Denmark than Sweden. In Danish, ­smørrebrød literally means ­“buttered bread” and refers to the open-faced sandwiches that are a national staple. In Sweden, the tradition evolved in parallel, often referred to more broadly as smörgås (sandwich) or ­smörgåsbord (a selection of open sandwiches and other cold dishes). It’s more than just a ­buffet; it’s a ­celebration of food that sees dense rye bread serving as a plate and a canvas for whatever takes your fancy, be it ­herring, roast beef, eggs, prawns or cheese. In Stockholm a simple ­räksmörgås (open shrimp sandwich) served with lemon and dill has always been my go-to, and is perfect for a light lunch as we head into spring.

Just a few stalls over, the air is heavy with the perfume of meat and spice. Forget what you think you know from IKEA. Here, Swedish meatballs or köttbullar are served as they’re meant to be – hand-rolled, ­walnut-sized orbs sitting in a pool of creamy sauce the colour of pale toffee. Their ­history carries further than you might expect, with King Charles XII bringing a taste of Turkish köfte home following his exile in the Ottoman Empire.

They may be world famous now, thanks to the global popularity of flatpack, but in Östermalms you understand why they are the “bread and butter” of Swedish food and as much a part of the Swedes’ identity as the flag.

Smorrebrod with school prawns. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

The dill gives it a Scandi flavour. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

­Räksmörgås

Ingredients

• 8 slices of dark rye bread or pumpernickel
• 2-3 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• 1.2kg school prawns
• 200ml grapeseed oil
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 100g crème fraiche
• Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish
• Lemon wedges, to serve
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced
• 1 baby cos or butterhead lettuce, leaves picked and washed
• Sea salt

Method

1. Prepare the school prawns by twisting gently to remove the heads, which you can reserve to make the roasted prawn head oil. Heat 100ml of grapeseed oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add the prawn heads and shells, cooking until they turn bright orange and become aromatic, 5-6 minutes. When the water has evaporated, add the remaining grapeseed oil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
2. Allow to cool before straining the oil through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Crack the egg yolk into a bowl before adding the mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of water. Whisk together to combine and gradually, in a very slow and steady stream, begin pouring in the prawn oil. This step is crucial for proper emulsification, so take your time. As you pour the oil, you’ll notice the mixture starting to thicken. Continue mixing until all the oil has been incorporated and the mayonnaise reaches a creamy consistency.
3. Fold through the crème fraiche, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt. In a medium pan, bring 1 litre of water to a boil and add 10g salt. Add the prawn tails and when the water boils again, drain and refresh in ice water. When cool, drain, peel the prawn tails and reserve.
4. Dress the prawns gently with the mayo dressing. Lightly toast the rye or pumpernickel to give it some structure. Allow it to cool before placing a couple of lettuce leaves on each slice. Add the sliced egg, and a couple of slices of the cucumber. Pile a generous mound of prawns over the eggs, before finishing with fresh dill and a wedge of lemon. Serves 3-4

No tomato sauce with these Swedish-style meatballs. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

One is most certainly not enough. Eat with bread, salad and lingonberry jam. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Swedish meatballs

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 250g pork mince
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 egg
• 60ml milk
• 60g fine breadcrumbs
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Sea salt and cracked white pepper
• 40ml grapeseed oil
• 40g butter
• 80ml dry white wine
• 250ml gelatinous beef stock
• 125ml double cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 80g lingonberry jam or cranberry jelly
• Handful fresh dill sprigs

Method

1. Heat 20ml of grapeseed oil in a pan; saute the onion gently for 5-6 minutes until softened with no colour. Add a pinch of salt and the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the onion and garlic, egg, milk, breadcrumbs, allspice, nutmeg, 2g of salt, and pepper. Add the mince and gently mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork it. Roll into walnut-sized balls. Place on a tray and chill for at least 20 minutes to help them firm up. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, adding 20ml of grapeseed oil followed by the butter. When the butter is foaming, fry the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides and just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
3. Removing any excess fat, deglaze the pan with the wine and when reduced by half add the stock, cream, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, bring to a gentle simmer and reduce until it thickens to a coating consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer gently in the sauce for 5-6 minutes to warm through and let the flavours combine. Finish with fresh dill sprigs. Serve with crusty bread, a fresh salad and lingonberry jam or cranberry jelly. Serves 3-4