grandma's meatballs

When we were kids, my brothers and I loved to visit our grandparents in the countryside. While my grandfather was hunting in the woods, my grandma was standing in the kitchen, preparing amazing food "the old fashioned" way. Among my favourites: Her "Hacktätschli", meaning big meatballs in a creamy sauce:

Ingredients for 4:

700g minced beef

Some thyme

Some flat parsley, finely chopped

2 carrots

2 onions

1 garlic clove

0.5 chili

1 egg

4 loafs of white toast

5dl cream

5dl beef stock

2 bay leafs

Butter

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Directions:

Finely dice on of the onions and sear in olive oil for about five minutes, set aside. Cut the toast in small pieces and soak in some cream.

Chop the carrots and onion, as well as the chili and garlic, and put into an oven proof dish, splash some olive oil on top. Roast in the 200 Degrees pre-heated oven (upper and lower heat) for about ten minutes.

In the meantime, mix well the meat, soaked toast, onion, egg and herbs – best is to use the kitchen machine and add little by little half of the cream, until you have a homogenous mixture. Season well with salt and pepper. Now form the meat into big balls, about of the size of a peach.

Take out the oven form and distribute the meatballs on the veggies, add the bay leafs, then pour the hot stock around the meat, add some butter flakes on top of the meat, and put everything back into the oven for about 30 minutes.

Now take out the meat and pour the rest (liquid and veggies) into a pan, blend until smooth and add the rest of the cream. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper if necessary – add the meatballs to the hot sauce and serve with potato mash.