Friekedellen Flemish Meatballs With Cherry Sauce

Sweet Meets Savory

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/friekedellen-flemish-meatballs-with-cherry-sauce • Posted by Dorcas

Here's my version of the traditional Flemish dish. Cherries are great for pies, tarts and other sweets, but work well with savory too!

You will need

1 lb. ground pork For the meatballs: 1 lb. ground pork 1 lbs Ground Beef 1 large Egg 2 slices of White Bread ½ cup Whole Milk ½ a large Onion (or 1 small onion), finely minced' 1 ½ tsp Allspice ½ tsp Nutmeg , preferably freshly grated 2 pinch of Fennel Seeds 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt Black Pepper 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter , plus more if needed 2 tbsp Olive Oil , plus more if needed ½ cup Buttermilk
For the cherry sauce: 2 lbs red Cherries , halved and pitted 1 tbsp -2 tablespons of Honey 2 tablespons Water 1 tbsp All Purpose Flour 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter

Project Budget

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Description

Here's my version of the traditional Flemish dish. Cherries are great for pies, tarts and other sweets, but work well with savory too!

Instructions

1. For the meatballs: Soak bread in milk for about 30 minutes. When it is very soft and has soaked up all of the milk, add pork, beef, onion, allspice, nutmeg, fennel, salt and a grind or two of fresh pepper. Use hands to combine together and knead gently. Form into balls slightly larger than a walnut, rolling between your hands so that their shape holds and they are fairly compact. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs over medium to medium-high heat until they are well browned. It's best to leave them for about 6 minutes before turning them the first time, then cooking an additional 4 or 5 minutes. Cook in batches or use two pans. If cooking in batches, wipe out skillet, then add more butter and oil before frying additional meatballs. Transfer meat to a platter, along with any onion bits from the bottom of the pan.

2. Sprinkle flour into the pan and stir with a wooden spoon. Add a tablespoon of butter and let it melt, stirring the flour and butter together until smooth and scraping up any additional bits at the bottom of the skillet. Remove pan from heat and slowly add 1 1/2 cups of hot water, mixing it in quickly. Return to heat and stir in the buttermilk until a smooth sauce forms. Adjust for salt and pepper. Add the meatballs (and onion bits) to the sauce in the skillet, cover, and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the meatballs are soft and tender.

3. For the cherry sauce: Place cherries in a large saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until the fruit softens and give up some of its juices. Stir in honey. Use more or less depending on how tangy you like the sauce. Combine flour and water in a small bowl. Stir into the cherries and allow to cook until it thickens. Once the sauce has thickened, add the butter then give it another stir. Your sauce should have a soft, glossy appearance. Serve meatballs with cherry sauce on the side.