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DANISH MEATBALL
AND DUMPLING SOUP
from the SCANDINAVIAN
FEASTS
This soup looks long and involved, but only because it is composed
of three parts, very light and tender meatballs and light and tender
dumplings, that can be made ahead and then reheated in a rich vegetable-garnished
beef broth.
Meatballs:
1/2 pound ground meat, pork, veal, beef or turkey or meatloaf mix
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Put the ground meat and onion in a food processor with the steel
blade in place; process until very fine. (Or, put through a food
grinder three times until very fine.) Add the salt, pepper, allspice.
flour, milk and egg and process until smooth. Turn out into a bowl
and let stand 30 minutes (mixture will thicken in this time). Bring
2 inches of water in a skillet to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt for
each quart of water. With two teaspoons dipped in water, shape the
meat into 40 little oval shaped balls. Drop into boiling water and
boil 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through. Lift out of the water
with a perforated spoon. Place in a sieve or strainer, rinse with
cold water and let meatballs drip until dry. The meatballs can be
made a day ahead of time, then warmed again in the soup.
Dumplings:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
3 eggs
In a saucepan, bring the butter, water and salt to a boil. Add the
flour all at once, stirring vigorously. When the dough forms a smooth,
shiny ball that comes away from the sides of the pan, remove form
the heat. Cool 10 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating
well. Bring 2 inches water to a simmer in a skillet and add 1 teaspoon
salt per quart of water. Using two teaspoons, dipped in water, shape
the dough into 40 small balls. Drop into the simmering water and
bring th3e water to a boil; as soon as it boils, add a small amount
of cold water. Return to a boil and repeat three times, adding water
and bringing the water to a boil again. The dumplings will then
be cooked. Lift dumplings out of the water and drain in a sieve
or strainer. Dumplings can be made a day ahead of time and then
warmed again in the soup.
Broth:
2 quarts well-flavored beef consomme
1 cup diced cooked carrots
1 cup frozen sugar snap peas
Heat the consomme to boiling. Add the carrots, snap peas, meatballs
and dumplings. Ladle into owls. Makes 8 servings.
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