Königsberger Klopse: German Meatballs in Creamy Caper Sauce

German Königsberger Klopse meatballs in a creamy lemon and caper sauce served on a blue plate.

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Königsberger Klopse: German Meatballs in Creamy Caper Sauce

This is the authentic recipe for classic German Königsberger Klopse, or meatballs in a lemon and caper sauce. Königsberger Klopse meatballs are unique in that they are poached.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: German

Servings:

Calories: 729kcal

Author: Jana Dziak

Ingredients

For The Caper-Lemon Sauce

5 tbsp Butter Unsalted
5 tbsp All-purpose Flour
1 Lemon Juiced and zested with half of the zest reserved for adding to the meatballs
1 tbsp Capers Drained
2 Egg Yolks
3 tbsp Sour Cream

For The Poaching Liquid (If Not Using Bone Broth or Stock)

2 Quarts Water
1 Large Onion Peeled and sliced in half
1 Carrot
3 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp Salt
5 Whole Peppercorns

For The Meatballs

1 lbs Ground meat Pork mixed with beef is best
2 Large Eggs
1 Large Onion Finely diced and sauteed
2 Slices Sourdough Bread Or 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Butter Unsalted
2 tbsp Heavy Cream
1 tbsp Worcester Sauce
2 tsp Mustard
3 Anchovy Fillets Or two teaspoons of anchovy paste
¼ Cup Parsley Leaves Finely diced
1/2 of the lemon zest reserved from the caper sauce
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Prepare Your Ingredients:

Prepare all your ingredients and have them ready to go. Saute the finely diced onions for 5 minutes until translucent, and allow to cool. If you’re making the poaching stock, it should be made first and allowed to simmer gently to extract the flavors as you make the Königsberger Klopse meatballs. If using your premade bone broth/stock, get it ready to go on the stovetop, and be mindful of the time it takes to reach a boil.

Make The Meatballs:

Mix all of the ingredients except for the ground meat together in a large bowl and knead vigorously.
Add the meat to the mixture and continue to knead well until thoroughly combined. Because these German meatballs will be poached, you can mix them harder than you would with other varieties.
Moisten your hands with cool water and form the meatballs into firm falls. They should be about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter.
Make sure your poaching liquid is simmering, and bring it up to a boil as the meatballs will lower the temperature of the liquid as they are dropped into it. A wide, shallow pot is best for poaching.
Drop your meatballs in using a slotted spoon, and do not let them rest on the bottom of the pot, or they may break and fall apart. Do not let the liquid boil; it should be simmering gently. They will simmer for 10 minutes.
Gently remove them from the liquid and set aside covered in foil as you prepare the sauce. Reserve the liquid for the sauce.

Prepare The Lemon-Caper Sauce:

Add the egg yolks and sour cream into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Melt butter in a heavy skillet or medium saucepan and stir in the flour once the foam has subsided. Whisk until the flour is no longer raw but not deeply browned, about 5 minutes.
Add 3 cups of the poaching liquid/bone broth and bring this mixture to a boil. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and becomes very smooth and creamy and then reduce the heat to low.
Add the lemon juice and capers and continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring there is no burning.
Now temper the beaten egg yolks and sour cream: slowly add spoonfuls of the hot sauce to the yolk-sour-cream mixture, stirring constantly with a fork so they don’t break. About 1/2 cup of the hot sauce should be added to the mixture like this before the entire mixture can be poured back into the cooking sauce.
Turn off heat and continue to mix. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Finish The Meatballs & Serve:

Add the cooked meatballs into this sauce and simmer them, basting the top with sauce occasionally until they are hot and ready.
Add the cooked saucy meatballs onto individual plates or a platter for serving. Serve with extra sauce poured on top and fresh parsley. Cracked black pepper is also nice as a finishing touch.

Notes

Storage & Freezing: Meatballs can be made ahead and then frozen. Freeze on baking trays in a single layer until completely frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store for 4-6 months this way.

Allow to thaw in the refrigerator and then cook in the poaching liquid and continue with the recipe as written.

Make it gluten-free: replace the flour with a gluten-free flour that can be used to make a roux.

Nutrition