Finnish meatballs (Lihapullat)

Ingredients

• 500 g Beef mince
• 100 g Bread crumbs
• 1 pcs Egg
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt
• 1/4 tsp White pepper, ground
• 1/2 tsp Sweet red paprika powder

Method

1. Heat the oven to 225 °C
2. In a large bowl soak the breadcrumbs in the kermaviili (or in the liquid of your choice), leave for about 10 minutes. The result must be moist, somehow hard. Adjust the amount, if using a substitution, according to the softness of the mixture.
3. Fry the onions in a skillet until soft, set aside to cool.
4. Add the egg, mince, onions and seasonings to the breadcrumb mix.
5. Knead the mixture thoroughly until well combined and firm. Shape into walnut sized balls with slightly oiled or moist hands (keep a bowl with water nearby) and place them on a greased shallow baking tray or over parchment paper. Do not crowd .
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden. You can turn them to cook evenly but I usually don´t . They get a crispy bottom.
7. (While the meatballs are baking, you can make the gravy.)