An old Prussian recipe for aromatic veal, pork, anchovy meatballs simmered in a tart caper broth which is then turned into a sauce with the addition of herbs and sour cream. The meatballs buck our contemporary obsession with frying everything and are deliciously succulent as a result. The broth self-thickens from the flour the meat balls are dredged in. Then it’s turned to sauce with sour cream / creme fraiche and a little herb.

Meatballs

500g pork mince
1kg veal mince
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1⁄4 cups breadcrumbs
1⁄2 cup milk
2 small onions, diced/minced
1 small lemon zest and juice
3 tablespoons chopped capers
Handful of chopped white anchovy
1 bunch of parsley finely copped
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoon fennel seeds ground
flour for dredging

Combine all the ingredients well apart from the flour , roll into balls and dredge in flour.

Broth

2L chicken stock
4 bay leaf
3 lemon leaf
1⁄4 cup cider vinegar
1⁄2 cup dry farmhouse cider
10 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons capers

Combine in a non-reactive pot bring to a simmer. Make a tiny ball of the mixture , simmer it for 5 minutes. Taste it to test the seasoning. Correct seasoning if necessary.
Simmer meatballs in batches being careful not to let the broth boil. Each batch should simmer for 15minutes.
Reserve balls in a bowl under tinfoil while the next batch cooks.
Broth will gradually thicken from the dredging flour.

Sauce

1 cup crème fraiche / sour cream
1 bunch of parsley chopped
1 bunch of chives chopped

Remove the bay leaves and lemon leaves and add the sauce ingredients to the broth . Stir into the warm broth . Return the meat balls to the sauce. Serve with boiled spuds or frits with some steamed green vegetables. Delicious .