Bitterballen

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's another good one from Rosemary Zwick:

A man phoned a retail pharmacy to talk about his prescription. He said
to the pharmacist, "My doctor ordered this prescription for me. Your
store filled it and gave me a bottle with 100 capsules in it about two
weeks ago. I'm supposed to take one capsule every six hours and I've
been doing that. This little packet came out of the bottle while I was
getting my capsule once. The packet said, "do not eat" on it. That was
four days ago, and I'm really hungry!"

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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These little meatballs are frequently served at parties and other
festive occasions. The Dutch usually serve them with mustard for
dipping, and you might want to serve them with a variety of dips,
including mustards, chutneys, and barbecue sauces.

Bitterballen (Dutch Meatballs)

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
1/2 lb (250 g) ground beef or veal
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely diced carrot
1/2 cup (60 ml) finely chopped onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A grating of fresh nutmeg
1 Tbs (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs (20 ml) finely chopped parsley
5 Tbs (75 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) beef broth or milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp (5 ml) water
Oil for deep frying

Heat one tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat
and cook the meat, carrots, and onions until the meat is browned and the
carrots are tender. Drain the meat in a colander, then place in a mixing
bowl. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, lemon juice, and parsley and stir to
combine. Set the meat mixture aside. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons
(45 ml) of butter in a saucepan over moderate heat and stir in the flour
to make a roux. Cook this for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the beef broth or
milk. Continue heating, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils and
becomes quite thick. Combine the sauce with the meat mixture, stirring
to combine them thoroughly, and chill this mixture for at least two
hours in the refrigerator, until it has become firm. When the mixture
has solidified, roll it into balls about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter,
using your hands. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs, then in the egg
and water mixture, then in the bread crumbs again. Fry a few at a time
in a deep fryer with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of oil at 375F (190C)
until golden (about 2 to 3 minutes). Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Sun Aug 16 18:41:55 2009