Meatballs in Celery Sauce
Meatballs in celery sauce is a gentle, creamy supper: soft pork meatballs poached in water, then warmed through in a white sauce thickened with diced celeriac (celery root). The celeriac gives the sauce a mild, nutty celery flavour and a little bite. It is a homely dish in the Danish style, and it needs just one pan for the sauce and one for the meatballs. Allow about 50 minutes.
- Total
- 50 min
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 500kcal
How to tell when the meatballs are cooked
Poached meatballs have a pale, soft surface, so you cannot go by colour. Pork mince must be cooked until steaming hot all the way through, with no pink and clear juices (75°C inside, if you use a thermometer). After 10 minutes of gentle simmering, the balls should float and feel firm. Cut one open to check, since size varies.
Meatballs in celery sauce: the method
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Mix the meatballs Combine the mince, egg, breadcrumbs, grated onion, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix with your hands for about a minute, until it just holds together. Do not overwork it. Wet your hands and roll into 20 balls, each about the size of a walnut (35g).
- Poach the meatballs Bring 1.5 litres of water to the boil in the large saucepan, then turn down to a gentle simmer. Lower in the meatballs and poach for . They are done when they float and are firm, with no pink inside. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
- Start the sauce While the meatballs poach, melt the butter in the medium saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for . Whisk in the hot stock a little at a time, until smooth, then add the milk and celeriac.
- Simmer the celeriac Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook gently for , stirring now and then, until the celeriac is tender when pierced and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. If it gets too thick, add a splash of milk.
- Combine Add the meatballs to the sauce and warm through gently for , stirring carefully, until steaming hot all the way through. Season with black pepper, scatter over the parsley and serve with boiled potatoes.
Serving and what else to try
Serve the meatballs in celery sauce with plenty of boiled potatoes and the sauce spooned over, perhaps with buttery peas. For other meatballs in sauce, try classic meatballs in curry sauce or Swedish meatballs.
Celeriac is easy to cut once you have sliced off the top and bottom to give it a flat base; peel it with a sharp knife, not a peeler. Dice any leftover celeriac and add it to soups or roast it.
Common problems and fixes for meatballs in Celery Sauce
- The meatballs are tough.
- The mixture was overworked or too lean. Mix only until combined, and use mince with about 15–20% fat, as lean pork turns dry.
- The meatballs fall apart in the water.
- Poach at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Rest the shaped balls in the fridge for 10 minutes if the mixture feels sticky, and add a spoonful more breadcrumbs.
- The sauce has lumps.
- Add the stock slowly while whisking, and keep the first splash thick before thinning. If lumps remain, blend the sauce for a few seconds with a stick blender before adding the meatballs.
Frequently asked questions about meatballs in Celery Sauce
What is celeriac, and can I use celery sticks instead?
Celeriac is the knobbly root of a type of celery, sold in most supermarkets. You can use 4 celery sticks (about 250g), finely sliced, but they cook faster, in 8–10 minutes, and give a lighter flavour.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Cool, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat gently in a pan with a splash of milk until steaming hot all the way through. The sauce thickens as it cools.
What should I serve with it?
Boiled new potatoes are traditional, and mash works too. Add peas, green beans or a simple pickled beetroot salad for colour.
Can I use beef or turkey mince?
Yes. Mixed pork and beef mince is a common choice, and turkey mince also works. Cook until no pink remains and the juices run clear.
How did you like the recipe?
4.7 / 5 · 39 ratings
