Dutch Meat Ball Soup
A Dutch favourite - a clear soup with miniature
meat balls floating in it. Do use really lean meat for these.
To enhance the flavour of the broth, replace half of the stock
with a 425g (15oz) can consommé.
MEAT BALLS:
25g (1oz / ½ cup) fresh
breadcrumbs
125g (4oz) lean ground
beef
125g (4oz) lean ground
veal
1 egg
salt
and pepper to taste
good
pinch of nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon celery
seeds
1 tablespoon chopped
chervil
BROTH:
940m1(1 ½ pints / 3 ¾ cups) clear beef or chicken
stock
1 carrot
1 stick celery
1 leek
3 tablespoons dry
sherry
3 tomatoes, shinned, seeded and
chopped
1
tablespoon chopped chervil
1.
Place all the ingredients for the meat balls in a food
processor and blend until smooth, or mix thoroughly by
hand.
2.
Using dampened hands, form the meat into about 40 small balls,
each the size of a cherry.
3.
Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan. Add the meat balls
and simmer gently for 8 minutes, removing the scum as it rises
to the surface. Lift out the meat balls and set aside. Cool
the stock and skim off all the fat.
4.
Cut the carrot, celery and leek into julienne strips measuring
5cm x 3mm (2 x 1/8 inch).
5. Return the stock to the saucepan and bring to the
boil. Add the vegetable julienne and simmer gently for 10
minutes. Add the sherry, tomatoes and chervil, with the meat
balls. Heat through, then ladle into individual
soup
bowls to serve. Serves
4-6.
