Swedish Mash with Brown Butter Chanterelles, Meatballs, and Brown Gravy

Four things that belong together on a plate: silky mashed potato, chanterelles cooked in brown margarine until they smell nutty and golden, Swedish meatballs warmed through and then finished in a proper brown gravy, and a small pot of lingonberry jam on the side. The mash leans rich and loose, almost pourable, the way Swedish grandmothers have always made it. The chanterelles get a proper hot pan and a little patience so they colour at the edges rather than steam. And the gravy, built from the meatball pan drippings, beef stock, a splash of cream, and a small hit of soy sauce for that deep amber colour, is the thing that ties the plate together. Together they look genuinely beautiful, especially with a few fresh thyme leaves scattered on top and a bright spoonful of lingonberry alongside.

Ingredients

  • 24 meatballs (about 1.5 lb / 680 g) Pre-made Swedish meatballs, thawed if frozen
  • 1¼ cups Beef stock
  • 3 tbsp Heavy cream
  • 1 tsp Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp All-purpose flour
  • ½ cup Lingonberry jam or sauce
  • 6 sprigs Fresh thyme
  • 14 oz Chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and torn into large pieces if big, left whole if small
  • 4 tbsp Margarine
  • 2 medium Shallots, finely sliced
  • a small handful Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 lb Floury potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly equal chunks
  • ½ cup Whole milk, warmed
  • 1½ tsp Fine salt
  • to taste Flaky sea salt
  • to taste Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. If your chanterelles are frozen, take them out of the freezer now and spread them on a plate to thaw at room temperature. Frozen chanterelles release a lot of liquid, so they'll need at least 30 minutes on the counter before cooking. Once thawed, press them gently with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. If yours are fresh, skip ahead.
  2. If your 24 Swedish meatballs (about 680 g) are frozen, place them in a colander under cold running water for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until thawed through. If they're already refrigerated, just take them out of the fridge now so they're not ice-cold when they hit the pan. If they're fully room-temperature or straight from a warm packet, move on.
  3. Peel and cut 2 lb (900 g) floury potatoes into roughly equal chunks, each about 2 inches. Add them to a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 1½ tsp fine salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer.
  4. Simmer the potatoes for 18 to 22 minutes, until a fork slides into the largest piece with zero resistance and the chunks start to look slightly ragged at the edges. While they cook, finely slice 2 medium shallots and set aside. Roughly chop a small handful of flat-leaf parsley and set that aside too.
  5. Drain the cooked potatoes through a colander and let them steam-dry for 2 minutes. Return them to the warm pot. Add 2 tbsp margarine and ½ cup (120 ml) warm milk. Mash well until smooth, or use a food processor for an ultra-silky result. Taste and adjust salt. Keep warm over the lowest heat setting, giving an occasional stir.
  6. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 24 meatballs (about 680 g) in a single layer, working in batches if needed so they're not crowded. Let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes until the underside picks up a little colour, then turn them to brown the other side for another 2 minutes. Add 4 sprigs fresh thyme and pour in ½ cup (120 ml) beef stock. Let it bubble gently, rolling the meatballs in the liquid, for 3 to 4 minutes until the stock reduces to a thin glaze and the meatballs are heated all the way through. Pierce the largest one with a skewer: it should feel hot to the touch and have no pink in the centre. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside, but do not wipe or wash the skillet.
  7. Now make the brown gravy in the same skillet the meatballs came from. Leave the heat on medium and scatter 1 tbsp all-purpose flour into the pan drippings. Whisk constantly for about 1 minute until the flour smells toasty and turns a shade or two darker. Pour in ¾ cup (180 ml) beef stock a little at a time, whisking as you go to prevent lumps. Once all the stock is in and the gravy is smooth, add 3 tbsp (45 ml) heavy cream and 1 tsp (5 ml) soy sauce. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon and has a deep amber colour. Taste and season with black pepper and flaky salt if needed. Return the meatballs to the skillet and nestle them into the gravy. Keep warm over the very lowest heat.
  8. While the meatballs sit in the gravy, make the chanterelles. Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp margarine and let it melt. Keep cooking it, swirling the pan, until the solids at the bottom turn light brown and the whole thing smells faintly of caramel and toasted grain. Add the sliced 2 medium shallots and stir for 90 seconds until softened.
  9. Add the 14 oz (400 g) chanterelles to the pan in a single layer if possible. Don't stir for the first 2 minutes. Let them make direct contact with the hot pan so they colour rather than steam. Then toss and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until golden at the edges and tender. Season with flaky salt and black pepper, then fold in the chopped parsley.
  10. Spoon ½ cup (120 ml) lingonberry jam into a small ramekin or bowl and set it on the table. To plate: spoon a generous mound of mash to one side of each plate and use the back of a spoon to make a swoosh. Pile the chanterelles next to or on top of the mash. Nestle six meatballs alongside and spoon the brown gravy generously over them. Scatter a few fresh thyme leaves from the remaining 2 sprigs over everything and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Pass the lingonberry at the table.