Scandinavian meatballs with reindeer meat

Reindeer meat is a delicacy that is definitely worth trying. It”s possible to find it in Scandinavian countries, especially in Finland, Sweden and Norway. It is very tasty, high in vitamins and very low in fat content. It comes from animals that grow in a natural environment, so they are not treated with hormones or antibiotics. In addition, they do not go through slaughterhouses, and their hunting is highly regulated, in order to avoid excesses that would harm the number of exemplars.

If you have the opportunity to visit any of the countries mentioned above, you can find this meat both fresh and frozen. Fun fact: I didn’t find any reindeer or moose meet in any supermarket of Copenhagen. But from my last visit to Sweden I brought back frozen reindeer minced meat, with which I prepared this recipe, inspired by their famous “köttbullar” meatballs.

Start by lightly salting the minced meat and letting it rest for at least half an hour. This step is important because the action of the salt helps the binding of the meat, so we won’t need to use eggs or bread to form the meatballs.

Meanwhile, cut the onion into julienne strips and sauté it in olive oil or butter over very low heat, stirring from time to time to prevent burning. After about half an hour, it will have caramelized, as well as reduced considerably.

In a small saucepan, heat the gooseberries or currants with a splash of water for no more than 10 minutes, until reduced. Reserve.

Separately, peel and boil the whole potatoes in salted water. Depending on the size, the potatoes will be tender between 10 and 15 minutes.

In another saucepan, heat the wine to evaporate the alcohol, add the soy sauce and the mascarpone. Continue over very moderate heat for a couple of minutes, stirring until you get a thick sauce without lumps.

Finally, heat a little butter in another saucepan, form the meatballs with the palm of your hand and fry them for a few minutes.

Serve the meatballs together with the potato garnishes, caramelized onion, currants and the sauce on top.

Indeed there are many steps, but the result is absolutely extraordinary.

Tips and tricks:

1. The same recipe works with moose, another exotic meat for most readers, but very common in those Northern regions.
2. The “lingonberry” and “cloudberry” are two types of berries typical of Scandinavian countries. Jams made out from them are perfect accompaniments for these dishes. Failing that, fresh or frozen currants are a very good substitute. I also prefer the berries instead of the jam, otherwise I feel just getting the taste of sugar.
3. It’s possible to prepare the sauce with cream or whole milk instead of mascarpone, and thicken it with a little flour, cornstarch, xanthan gum, etc.
4. Minced reindeer or moose meat has a fat content of less than 5%. This makes the meatballs fall apart when cooking, and that is why we salt them and let them rest. After this step, the final result is perfectly compact.
5. Curious about more Nordic dishes? Check this post about my favorite foods of Finland.