Swedish-ish Meatballs

Meatballs
Break pork and beef mince up into a large bowl and stir through egg. Put the milk and the roughly torn up bread into a food processor. Let it soak for a minute while you add the garlic, parmesan, ricotta, chilli flakes, fennel seeds, salt, pepper and zest. Pulse it all until the mixture is just combined. Add to the mince then mix really well together. Roll into about 20 golf ball sized meatballs and chill in the fridge until ready to use. 

Sauce
Preheat oven to 180˚ (350˚F). Heat half of the butter in a big casserole dish or sauté pan. Cook 10 meatballs at a time over a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown. Pop in an oven proof dish and bake a further 5 minutes while you fry the next 10 meatballs with the remaining butter – finish these in the oven the same way. Set all meatballs aside and lower heat to medium/low.

Add flour to pan and use a wooden spoon to beat it into the butter, scraping the brown bits off the bottom as you go. Once it is a big, dense, blobby paste add stock and spices and whisk to combine.
Increase heat to medium high and stir sauce for 5 minutes or so until it thickens. Add sour cream, parmesan, fennel or dill and 3 tablespoons of the cherry or lingonberry jam. Whisk together and cook for 3–4 minutes until thick and smooth.

Season well to taste with salt and pepper. If your pan is oven proof you can now just pop meatballs into the sauce and reheat together for 5–10 minutes, and if not transfer to an oven proof dish. Serve meatballs garnished with fennel or dill sprigs and either a good dollop of mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles. Spoon over gravy and enjoy with extra lingonberry jelly on the side.