Even the Sweedes eat Ikea Meatballs and Lingonberry Jam

Having long been a fan of visiting Ikea for the furniture shopping.  I think this is a by product of having lived in 6 different countries in about ten years.  My appreciation the Ikea restaurant however has only developed more recently.  Food that cheap cannot possibly taste any good!  My prejudgement of the cheap Ikea restaurant was shattered by a Swedish friend, who by the way was known all over town for his home made Sweedish meatballs.  One day Franz enthusiastically told me about his shopping trip to Ikea that day with his girlfriend..  It wasn't the furniture that had him animated it was the lunch they had eaten in the Ikea restaurant.  I figured then that I had better give it a chance.   Cheap and tasty Ikea meatballs are a winner when you're on a budget, or when you are in a superstore in the middle of nowhere and have a shopped up a ravishing hunger.  I have now eaten meatballs at Ikea in 3 continents.  While the Ikea version wont make you drop dead like I previously believed, a home made plate of meatballs is unbeatable.  Though I do usually cheat and use the bought jars of Lingonberry jam.
To the Sweedish, Meatballs with boiled potato and Lingonberry Jam is like what Spaghetti Bolognese is to the Italians or Gazpachio to the Spanish.  Every family has their own recipe passed down from their mothers mothers, though essentially it is as follows:

Note: Lingonberries are similar to Cranberries and can be interchanged if necessary.

Sweedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Jam

60gr butter

1 sml onion, very finely chopped

2 teaspoons of allspice

100gr breadcrumbs

150ml milk

1kg minced pork and beef mix

1 lrge beaten egg

S&P

1 Tablespoon plain flour

400ml chicken of beef stock

200gr sour cream

3 Tablespoons rough chopped fresh dill

Lingonberry or Cranberry Sauce

500gr cranberries or lingonberries

finely grated zest of one lemon and juice

150gr caster sugar

*To make cranberry sauce simply put the cranberries in a small heavy based saucepan with 125 ml water, lemon juice and zest.  Bring to the boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

*When the berries have started to pop, add the sugar and continue to cook until the sugar has melted.

*Remove from the heat and taste to see if the sauce is as sweet as you want it.  Leave it too cool.

*Melt 15gr of the butter and in it saute the onion until soft but not coloured.  Add the allspice and cook for a further minute.

*Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until all the milk has been absorbed - about 30 minutes.  Mix the onion and soaked breadcrumbs with the meat, eggs and season really well.

*With wet hands, form little balls just larger than Walnuts from the mixture.

*Heat half of the remaining butter with half the oil.  Fry the meatballs in batches, making sure that they get good colour on the outside.(Try not to burn the fat, if you do discard before frying the next lot)

*Heat the remaining butter and oil in the pan.  Add the flour and cook over a low heat, stirring until the flour is golden.

*Take off the heat and gradually add the stock, stirring well after each addition.  Place pan back on the heat stirring constantly whilst bringing the liquid to boil.  Add the sour cream

*Turn heat down and add meatballs, cook gently for about 15 minutes.  The sauce will thicken, taste for seasoning.  Add chopped dill and serve with cranberry sauce and boiled potatoes.

This recipe is from this lovely book