The word "meatballs" has Italian roots (it. frittatella) and comes from the adjective "fried". That's what balls of minced meat or fish are called. Some national cuisines (Russian until recently, for example) include recipes for meatballs cooked and served in soup. In others, as in Germany, Austria and Sweden, they are cooked by frying or baking in the oven and served as a main course.
The five most commonly used ingredients in meatball recipes:
| Product | Calories per 100g | Protein g per 100g | Fats g per 100g | Carbohydrates g per 100g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onion | 41 | 1.4 | 0 | 10.4 |
| Minced meat | 351 | 12.3 | 32.4 | 0 |
| Eggs | 157 | 12.7 | 10.9 | 0.7 |
| Chicken eggs | 80 | 12.7 | 10.9 | 0.3 |
| Butter | 734 | 0.5 | 82.5 | 0.8 |
To make meatballs you'll need any minced meat: pork, beef, chicken, fish or mixed. Salt and spices, onion and fresh herbs are added to it. Sometimes white bread crumb softened in milk, or potato grated on a fine grater. Balls of equal size are formed, which in the classic form should be no bigger than an average walnut, or smaller. So to some cooks certain Swedish meatballs may seem too small.
To bring out the flavor of meatballs (when they're used for a main course), fry them in vegetable oil in a pan until a golden crust forms. Do this so that the crust is even. After that, meatballs can be stewed or baked. They can also be deep-fried raw and served with a separate sauce.
Most often, meatballs are made with gravy, for which cream, sour cream, tomato paste, butter, flour and broth are used.
The five fastest meatball recipes:
| Dish Name | Cooking time | Calories per 100g | User Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken meatballs in sour cream sauce | 35 min | 123 | +99 |
| Meatballs with gravy in a frying pan | 40 min | 223 | +176 |
| Meatballs in sour cream sauce in a frying pan | 40 min | 214 | +91 |
| Meatballs with rice in the oven with sour cream and flour sauce | 45 min | 285 | +55 |
| Diet meatballs | 50 min | 244 | +24 |
In our country, soup with meatballs is a real favorite. They are dropped into boiling water raw, one at a time, so they don't stick together. And this is done at the end of cooking, once all the vegetables are already in.
Among the latest innovations: baking meatballs in dough, usually puff pastry. They are then served as a hot appetizer and a tasty snack between main meals.