Boller i karry

The story

Boller i karry, "balls in curry," is small poached pork meatballs in a mild curry sauce, served over rice. Danish recipe writers call it a classic, old-fashioned family dinner, one that many adults remember from childhood. The curry is gentle: mild curry powder, sometimes with a little turmeric for a deeper yellow, or with cumin and coriander, and the sauce is rounded off with lemon juice and a pinch of sugar.

The method is economical. The meatball mixture is the same kind of soft pork mixture used for frikadeller, but instead of being fried, small balls are dropped into simmering broth, where they cook in about eight minutes and float when they are done. The broth then becomes the base of the sauce: the curry powder is toasted briefly in butter, flour is whisked in, and the poaching liquid and milk are added until the sauce is smooth. Some cooks finish it with a little cream; others add the raw meatballs straight to the sauce.

Serve it with plain white rice and a garnish of diced apple and parsley, with green peas on the side for color.