Klopse

German dumplings in white sauce

Ingredients

Dumplings

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 stale roll
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste, or 1/2 teaspoon minced capers

Broth

• 2 quarts beef stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 7 whole allspice or cloves
• 2 medium onions, chopped

Sauce

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 Tablespoon capers
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Tear the roll into pieces and place them in a bowl with the water. Set aside for 10 - 15 minutes. Drain and press out the excess liquid. Place the bread in a large bowl along with with the beef, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and anchovy paste. Knead the mixture until well combined. Form the meat into 8 equally-sized dumplings.

In a large pot, combine the ingredients for the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and gently add the dumplings. Simmer until the dumplings are fully cooked, 10 - 15 minutes. Remove the dumplings from the broth and set aside.

Strain the broth into a bowl and discard the allspice and bay leaves.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook until it is lightly browned. Whisk in 2 cups of the strained broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the heavy cream. Check that the liquid is no longer boiling. If the sauce is too thick, add more liquid.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. To temper the egg yolks, add half a ladle of the sauce to the egg mixture, then add it to the pot and mix well. Add the capers, lemon juice, and vinegar to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the onions and the meatballs back into the sauce and allow them to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.