andrejthechef
GermanyStewDinner

Königsberger Klopse

Poached veal and pork meatballs in a creamy, tangy caper sauce, usually served with boiled potatoes. A dish carried west with East Prussian heritage.

prep
30 min
cook
30 min
total
1 h
serves
4
level
medium
Königsberger Klopse, a dish from East Prussian heritage

Königsberger Klopse takes its name from Königsberg, the East Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad in Russia. The dish survived the city's history and traveled west with displaced families after the Second World War, and it is now cooked all over Germany as part of that inherited culinary memory.

The sauce is the real distinguishing feature: a creamy, caper-sharp gravy built on the meatballs' own poaching stock, tangier than most German sauces get. Hold back slightly on the cream if you want that tang to lead.

Part of our 20 best German recipes list.

method

  1. Mix the ground meat, soaked bread, onion, egg, minced anchovy if using, salt and white pepper thoroughly until well combined.

  2. Shape the mixture into meatballs about 4 cm across, wetting your hands occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking.

  3. Bring the stock and bay leaf to a gentle simmer in a wide pot, not a boil. Lower in the meatballs and poach for 15 to 18 minutes, until cooked through. Lift them out and keep warm. Strain and keep the poaching stock.

  4. Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to make a pale roux.

  5. Gradually whisk in the strained poaching stock, a ladle at a time, until smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes, until it thickens into a light sauce.

  6. Stir in the cream, capers and caper brine, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the tartness with a little more brine or lemon if needed.

  7. Return the meatballs to the sauce to warm through, and serve hot with boiled potatoes.

chef's tips

  • A small amount of anchovy or herring in the meatball mixture is a traditional, old addition that adds savory depth without making the meatballs taste like fish. It is easy to leave out if you would rather not.
  • Poach, never boil, the meatballs. A hard boil can break them apart and clouds the stock you need for the sauce.
  • The sauce should taste distinctly tangy from the capers and lemon, not just creamy. Hold back on the cream slightly if you want the sharpness to lead.
  • This dish traveled west with East Prussian families after the Second World War and is now cooked across Germany, even though Königsberg itself is no longer part of the country.