My grandmother will tell you just how much I loved these simple meatballs in white sauce growing up. I’m not quite sure who they will play with a non- Bulgarian audience, but I love them to this day so wanted to share them with you. First of all, the meatballs are boiled instead of fried or baked and contain rice. Second of all, meatballs and Fricassee sauce is not a very usual combination… but give it a try! Who knows, maybe you’ll love it too.

This recipe used savoury (chubritsa) which is an ingredient that can be hard to find in the UK. Savoury is very integral to Bulgarian cuisine and it’s very commonly used in our dishes. I’ve added a link to amazon below but if you are really stuck you can use marjoram instead.

More in meatballs: Vegan chickpea & squash ‘meat’ balls with vegan mayo, Swedish Meatballs with Potato Salad

Bulgarian Meatballs in white Fricassee sauce

Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 40 mins
Easy

Meatballs-in-Fricase-sauce-2

You’ll need:

  • 500g pork mince;
  • 1 onion, finely chopped;
  • 75g rice;
  • 4 eggs;
  • Savoury (chubritsa);
  • 3-4 tbsp plain flour + extra for the meatballs;
  • 500g yogurt;
  • 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped.

To make the meatballs, mix the pork mince, onion, rice, one egg, 1/2 handful chopped parsley and a generous pinch savoury. Form meatballs roughly the size of a golf ball in your hands. Add a couple of tbsps flour to a plate and coat the meatballs with it. In a deep sauce pan boil about 1 litre of water. When boiling, add the meatballs and let them cook for 30-40 minutes, gently simmering, until ready.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Whisk the eggs with the yogurt and the flour. Set aside until the meatballs have finished cooking.

When the meatballs have finished cooking, add 2-3 ladles of the meatball stock, taking care to add it slowly and stir well so the eggs don’t scramble. Mix well and then add to a deep frying pan. Cook for a further 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened, adding the meatballs for the final 2-3 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and sprinkled generously with chopped parsley.

~Em