Erik’s Swedish Meatloaf with Capers and Cream Gravy

Erik mixes capers and their brine into the beef and roasts the loaf on a bed of onions. The onions and pan juices go into the cream gravy. Serve with boiled baby potatoes and currant jelly or lightly sugared lingonberries.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg ground beef, up to 20% fat
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 small jars capers, about 150–180 g drained in total
• 50–75 ml caper brine, from two of the jars
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200 ml whipping cream for the meatloaf
• 1½ tsp Celtic sea salt for the meatloaf
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper for the meatloaf
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 30 g butter for the top of the loaf
• 600 ml whipping cream for the gravy
• all the pan juices and roasted onion, for the gravy
• 1 tbsp dark mushroom soy sauce, to taste
• 2 generous pinches freshly ground black pepper for the gravy
• 1.2 kg baby potatoes, skin on
• water to just cover the potatoes
• 1 tsp per litre of water Celtic sea salt for the potatoes
• blackcurrant jelly, redcurrant jelly or raw lingonberries stirred with sugar, to taste

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170 °C. Put the egg yolks, capers and the brine from two jars in a large bowl. Add the garlic, beef, 200 ml cream, salt and pepper. Mix lightly by hand just until the mixture holds together.
2. Spread the chopped onion over the base of a baking dish. Shape the beef into a loaf of even thickness on top of the onion and place the butter on top.
3. Roast for about 1 hour, turning the oven up to 225 °C towards the end to brown the crust. Timing depends on your oven and the thickness of the loaf. It is ready when the centre reaches 70 °C.
4. Meanwhile, gently simmer the 600 ml cream in a wide pan until about 300 ml remains. Strain into a smaller saucepan.
5. Scrub the potatoes. Cover them with just enough water, add salt and boil in their skins for about 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain.
6. Whisk all the pan juices and roasted onion into the reduced cream. Add the mushroom soy sauce and pepper to taste and simmer briefly. Slice the meatloaf. Serve with the gravy, potatoes and your choice of currant jelly or sweetened lingonberries.