Königsberg Klopse

Soak the white bread in milk for 10 minutes, then squeeze out well. Finely chop the onion.

Heat the oil, sauté the onion for 4–5 minutes until translucent, then let cool. Mix the ground meat, bread, onion, egg, and finely chopped anchovy fillets; season with salt and black pepper.

With wet hands, shape the mixture into 16 small meatballs. Bring the beef broth to a boil in a wide pot, then reduce the heat to a bare simmer — about 85–90 °C.

Gently lower the meatballs into the broth and poach, covered, for 20–25 minutes, keeping the liquid from boiling hard. Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside 500 ml of the broth for the sauce.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the 500 ml of hot broth, whisking constantly, and simmer for 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the cream, capers, and lemon juice, warm through for another 2 minutes, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce and heat through for 3–4 minutes without boiling. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, 15–20 minutes.

Serve the meatballs hot with the boiled potatoes, ladling the caper sauce over the top.