Swedish meatballs, the full plate

Crush 60 g of the lingonberries with the back of a spoon. Add them to a small saucepan with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of water.

Warm gently, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the crushed fruit forms a loose syrup.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Fold the mixture gently through the remaining 190 g of whole lingonberries.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Wash the cucumber but do not peel it. Slice it 1–2 mm thick, either straight across or on a diagonal. A mandoline gives the most even result.

Toss the cucumber with the salt and leave for 15 minutes.

Place the cucumber between two plates, set a weight on top and press for another 15–20 minutes. Gently squeeze out the released water.

Stir the sugar, vinegar and cold water together until the sugar has fully dissolved. Add the white pepper and dill.

Pour the pickle over the cucumber and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized pieces. Start them in cold, well-salted water, bring to a boil and simmer until completely tender.

Drain well, return the potatoes to the hot pan and toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes to steam off excess moisture. Rice or mash them while hot.

Warm the milk and cream. Work them into the potatoes a little at a time.

Add the cold butter and mix until the mash is smooth and glossy. Season with salt, white pepper and the smallest pinch of nutmeg.

Pass the mash through a fine sieve and keep warm.

Mince the beef and pork finely enough that the mixture will bind, but leave some small pieces of meat for texture rather than grinding it to a paste.

Cut the onion into a fine 3–5 mm dice. Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion until translucent, soft and gently sweet, without browning. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool completely.

Do not wash the pan. Toast the breadcrumbs in it very lightly, then combine them with the milk and cream. Leave until they form a soft, moist panade.

Put the beef, pork, cooled onion, panade, egg, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, allspice and Dijon in a mixing bowl.

Mix and slap the mixture against the bowl until it becomes tacky and holds together. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Lightly wet or oil your hands. For large meatballs, portion the mixture into 50 g pieces and roll them to roughly 5 cm across. For smaller meatballs, use 30 g portions and roll them to roughly 3 cm.

Add a small amount of neutral oil and the butter to a heavy-based frying pan. Heat the fat to 160–180°C and maintain a steady medium heat while cooking.

Brown the meatballs in batches without crowding the pan. Turn them about once a minute so they colour evenly on all sides.

Remove the meatballs when their centres reach 75°C. Keep all the fat and browned fond in the pan for the gravy.

Check the amount of fat left in the meatball pan and add about 25 g of butter.

Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour. Cook, stirring continuously, for 1–2 minutes, until the roux is pale brown and no longer smells floury.

Add the beef stock in 4–5 additions, whisking each one completely smooth before adding the next.

Stir in the cream, soy sauce, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce and the optional teaspoon of lingonberry sauce.

Simmer gently until the gravy coats the back of a spoon in a thin layer but still flows easily.

Return the meatballs and any juices from their resting plate to the gravy. Warm them through gently over low heat.

Taste before serving, then add salt and black pepper as needed. The amount of salt will depend on the stock.

Spoon the mashed potatoes onto each plate, add the meatballs and cream gravy, then serve with the pressed cucumber and lingonberry sauce.