Veal Meatballs in Lemon Cardamom Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves of mace
• 1.2 l veal stock
• 15 g dried mixed mushrooms
• 1 stale roll
• 2 pickled sardine fillets
• 1 tbsp capers (jar)
• 500 g veal mince
• 1 tsp sharp mustard
• 1 egg
• pepper (ground)
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1.5 cm fresh ginger
• 100 ml whipping cream
• 1 tsp cardamom pods (pressed)
• 3 sticks of cinnamon bark
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1 vanilla pod (halved and split into pieces)
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 30 g cold butter
• Salt
• 1 untreated lemon (sliced)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the onion and pierce it with the bay leaf and mace. Heat with stock and mushrooms in a pot and let simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes.

2. 2.

   Soak the roll in lukewarm water. Drain the sardine fillets well and chop them with the capers. Mix with the mince, mustard, egg and the drained roll. Season with pepper and form small balls from the mixture.

3. 3.

   Place these in the stock and let them simmer for 10-15 minutes.

4. 4.

   Strain about 500 ml of the stock and keep the balls warm in the remaining stock.

5. 5.

   Peel garlic and ginger and slice thinly. Bring the strained stock, cream, cardamom, cinnamon, lime zest and vanilla pod to a boil and let gently simmer for about 4 minutes. Whisk cornstarch into cold water and stir into the boiling stock. Boil again, strain, and blend in the cold butter with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper.

6. 6.

   Skewer each ball with a lemon slice on wooden sticks and serve in bowls with sauce. Garnish with spices as desired.