Königsberger Klopse
German meatballs that are never fried: poached, then served in a creamy white sauce with capers.
Königsberger Klopse are named after Königsberg, once the capital of East Prussia and today the Russian city of Kaliningrad. The recipe likely dates to the 1800s, and Germans have a pile of nicknames for it, like Kapernklopse, caper balls.
Because they're poached and never browned, they stay pale, soft and gentle. Two anchovy fillets go into the meat. You won't taste fish, just salt and depth. The sour capers do the rest.
Why it works
Poached, not fried
No browning means no crust, so the meatballs stay soft and pale and the sauce stays white.
The poaching water
It becomes the stock for the sauce, so nothing the meatballs gave up is lost.
Watch it made
Step by step
- Step 1
Soak the bread roll in cold water.
- Step 2
Chop the anchovies fine. Squeeze the roll dry, then knead it with the meat, egg, onion, mustard, anchovy, salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Shape about 8 even balls.
- Step 4
Bring the salted water to a boil. Add the Klopse, let it come back to a boil, then turn it down and poach about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Step 5
Lift out the Klopse and keep them warm. Save about 2 3/4 cups of the poaching water. That's your stock.
- Step 6
Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook it for a moment. Whisk in the poaching liquid and the cream and simmer about 8 minutes.
- Step 7
Stir in the capers and lemon juice and season with salt, pepper and the sugar. Put the Klopse back in to warm through.
- Step 8
Toss the potatoes with parsley and serve, with pickled beetroot alongside if you have it.
Königsberger Klopse
Serves 4 · 8 meatballs · 1 hr total
Meatballs
- 1 day-old bread roll
- 1 onion, chopped very fine
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 lb ground beef and pork
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp medium-hot mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 2 quarts water and 1 1/2 tsp salt, for poaching
Sauce
- About 3 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 3/4 cups of the poaching liquid
- About 7 tbsp heavy cream
- 3 tbsp capers
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- 1 3/4 lb potatoes
- Chopped parsley
- Pickled beetroot, if you have it
Method
- Soak the bread roll in cold water.
- Chop the anchovies fine. Squeeze the roll dry, then knead it with the meat, egg, onion, mustard, anchovy, salt and pepper.
- Shape about 8 even balls.
- Bring the salted water to a boil. Add the Klopse, let it come back to a boil, then turn it down and poach about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Lift out the Klopse and keep them warm. Save about 2 3/4 cups of the poaching water. That's your stock.
- Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook it for a moment. Whisk in the poaching liquid and the cream and simmer about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the capers and lemon juice and season with salt, pepper and the sugar. Put the Klopse back in to warm through.
- Toss the potatoes with parsley and serve, with pickled beetroot alongside if you have it.
Adapted from a classic German grandmother's recipe on lecker.de. lecker.de. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
Tips
- Don't skip the anchovy. It reads as seasoning, not fish.
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