One of the first recipes I asked my Mama to write down for me when I was leaving home to go to university was her kotlety mielone, or meatballs, a dish she often made for supper, served with mashed potatoes and Mizeria, or Cucumber and soured cream salad, and Grated beetroot salad on the side. I missed her cooking so much when I left home. Traditionally, Polish meatballs are coated in breadcrumbs or flour, but I cook mine without to lighten them up. I love eating leftover meatballs in sandwiches with plenty of mayonnaise and pickled cucumbers.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 14 oz (400 g) minced beef
- 14 oz (400 g) minced pork
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 4 fl oz ½ cup (125 ml) beef stock (you can use a stock cube), cooled
- 2 slices of bread, preferably sourdough rye, soaked in a little water
- freshly ground black pepper
For the Mushroom Sauce
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 9 oz (250 g) fresh white mushrooms, sliced
- ½ lemon juice
- ½ vegetable or chicken stock cube, or ½ tsp vegetable bouillon powder
- 9 fl oz 1 cup (250 ml) single (light) cream
How to Make It
- Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a frying pan, add the red onion and fry for 5 minutes until soft. Leave to cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the minced meat, beaten egg, mustard and parsley. Tip in the cooled onion and pour in the cold stock. Crumble the soaked bread into small pieces and add to the meat. Season the mixture with pepper and mix everything thoroughly with a fork.
- Keep a small bowl of cold water nearby, to wet your hands. Take small amounts of the mixture, roughly a tablespoonful at a time, and shape into small balls, then flatten slightly. Between making each meatball, dip your hands in the cold water, to prevent stickiness. You should have enough mixture for 12 meatballs.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan, preferably non-stick, over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs, in two batches, for 4 minutes, turning occasionally until golden all over. Remove and transfer to a plate and continue browning the rest of the meatballs.
- Once they are all browned, put the meatballs back into the pan, add 2 tablespoons cold water, shake the pan around a little, cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil, and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.
- To make the mushroom sauce, heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice, and cook for 5 minutes. Crumble in the stock cube and about 125 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup of water and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the cream and stir well.
- Serve the meatballs and mushroom sauce over mashed potato with cucumber and soured cream salad and/or grated beetroot salad on the side.