Mini Meatballs

I mentioned those dinner parties earlier in my post about Cheese Balls.  These little meat balls were about the same size and were usually there, side-by-side with the Cheese Balls if there were any quantity of guests.

Speaking of “guests”, Dave reminds me that these were usually served on platters already set up with their little toothpicks in them, ready to eat.  Very cool for those of us who were kids at the time!

 

750g minced pork and veal

1 onion, finely grated

100g dried breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

A little allspice or nutmeg (Mum probably used nutmeg)

1 1/2 cups soda water

1 beaten egg

100g butter for frying

 

Ideally the meat should be minced twice or three times so that it is very fine and it should be no more than 24 hours old.

Combine the meat, onion, breadcrumbs and seasonings in a bowl.

Gradually add the soda water and the beaten egg, stirring until combined.

Cover and leave to stand for 1 hour

Using wet hands, roll the mixture into cocktail size meatballs, lightly and without squeezing. 

In a heavy frying pan, melt the butter and allow it to become nut brown.  Fry the meatballs.

It is not written in the recipe, but I remember Mum making these ahead of time and wrapping them in foil packages.  She stored them in the fridge and reheated them in the oven when it was time to serve them.

 

Hot Cheese Balls

Remember those dinner parties in the ’70s?  Remember the yummy things like individual mushroom or spinach struedels on Arzberg plates?  Remember the appertisers, like Jatz crackers with tiny square slices of cheese, topped with a fanned out slice of gherkin?  Or how about some Hot Cheese Balls…

1 small onion, chopped

1 level Tbsp butter

2 eggs, separated (I am assuming that means egg yolks and whites, not that you need to place one egg at either end of the kitchen bench)

1 to 1 1/4 cups grated cheese

2 gherkins, finely chopped

1/2 level teaspoon paprika

1/4 level teapsoon cayene pepper

1 level teaspoon finely chopped parsley (This is dried parsley)

1 cup sifted flour

1/4 level teaspoon mixed herbs (Again, this is dried)

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 1/2 level teaspoons salt

 

Saute onion in heated butter

Add to egg yolks, cheese, gherkins, paprika, cayenne pepper, parsley and herbs and mix well.

Sift flour and salt together and blend into the mixture.

Stiffly beat egg whites and fold through.

Form into small balls, then roll in the dried breadcrumbs. (I guess these were about the size of walnuts.)

Fry in deep hot oil until golden brown.

Serve hot.  Yields about 36

 

Can be cooked ahead of time and stored in fridge.  Wrap in foil and reheat in the oven.