Königsberger Klopse (German meatballs)

For ➍
meatballs:
150 g ground sirloin
150 g ground pork
150 g ground veal
1 large egg, slightly beaten
60 g fine plain breadcrumbs
5 cl milk
⅓ medium white onion, finely chopped
zest of ⅓ lemon, finely chopped
juice of ⅓ lemon
1 tbs capers, chopped
1 tbs anchovy paste or 1 tbs crushed anchovy fillets (or sardines or herring)
20 g melted butter
⅓ ts sea salt
¼ ts ground black pepper
flour (for rolling)
broth
3 dl chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
2 cl cider vinegar
4 cl dry white wine
3 black peppercorns
1 tbs capers
sauce
zest of ⅓ lemon, small finely chopped
juice of ⅓ lemon
1 dl sour cream
1-2 tbs snipped fresh parsley, for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat broth ingredients (stock, bay leaf, cider vinegar, white wine, peppercorns, and 2 tbs capers) to a simmer over medium heat.
Meanwhile, combine meatball ingredients, mix well.
Form meat mixture into golf-ball sized balls. Roll them in flour, and carefully place into hot broth; simmer each batch (10-12) for 15 m, but do not boil. The broth will thicken as you add the flour covered meatballs, which will make a nice sauce.
Carefully remove meatballs from the hot broth with a slotted spoon, and keep them warm in a covered bowl stored in the oven while making the sauce. Discard bay leaf.
To hot broth, stir in the sauce ingredients and heat through, but do not boil.
Add the cooked meatballs to the heated sauce, stir gently and warm through.

Serve meatballs and cream sauce with boiled new potatoes (Salzkartoffel) or hot buttered spätzle noodles and German red cabbage. Sprinkle with snipped fresh parsley, for garnish.

*To serve as an appetizer, make the meatballs smaller and serve warm with toothpicks, buttered rolls and potato salad.
Predecessors of the Königsberger Klopse date back to the Middle Ages. The Prussian name Klops (meat dumpling) didn't originate until the 18th century, when Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia, today known as Kaliningrad in Russia.