Figure 1 Image Source: Preparing to Serve Westphalia Balls

Typically combined with tomato puree based sauces, melted cheese and a dollop or two of sour cream Westphalia Balls really do make a “super” recipe ingredient all the while standing on its own merits when used as an appetizer, entrée or merely as a snack.

Figure 2 Image Source: Spaghetti and Westphalia Balls

Ingredients

• 300 Grams (about 10 ounces) of Potatoes
• 60 Grams (roughly 2 ounces) of Ham
• 1 Egg
• Dried Breadcrumbs
• 1 Teaspoon of Freshly Ground Sea Salt
• ½ Teaspoon of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, Lard, Dripping or Fat for Cooking

Method

1. Peel and eye the potatoes then cut the potatoes into quarters (eighths if using very large potatoes)
   1. Bring a saucepan with enough water to cover potatoes once added
   2. Now add about ½ teaspoon of salt and the potatoes. Cook the potatoes until soft
   3. You can test by inserting the point of a knife into the potato pieces. If the knife slides in and out without much resistance, your spuds are ready.
   4. Drain well then transfer potatoes to a medium sized mixing bowl. Add a little butter and milk and then mash well. You do not want any residual potato chunks to remain. You may need to add a little more butter and/or milk as you go. Do not forget to scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl as required. Continue mashing and mixing the potatoes until they take on a stiff, slightly moist thick pasty consistency.
   5. Chop the ham into pieces no larger in size than ½ your thumbnail and add to the mashed potatoes
   6. In another bowl lightly beat the egg and set to one side for the moment
   7. Add the remaining ½-teaspoon of sea salt and the ½-teaspoon black pepper to the potato mixture
   8. Now add in enough of the lightly beaten egg to ensure that the mixture will stay bound after being broken into smaller pieces shaped into balls. Start with about 1/8 of a teaspoon and add a little more if required.
   9. With all ingredients added to the mixing bowl mix until well combined
   10. Turn mixture onto a lightly floured board. Break off teaspoon-sized chunks and roll into balls. Once formed place the balls into another bowl or place on a plate (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 Image Source: Westphalia Balls Prior to Bread Crumbing

1. Continue breaking off teaspoon-sized portions of the Westphalia mixture and forming them into balls. Form all of the remaining Westphalia mixture into teaspoon-sized balls.
   1. We are going to be cooking our Westphalia balls in batches to avoid overcrowding of the fryer. This will give us a more reliably consistent and even cooking of all of the Westphalia balls that make up each batch.
   2. Prepare to coat the Westphalia balls with breadcrumbs by placing the dried breadcrumbs into a shallow dish (a saucer is great for this) and then spread them out evenly. You may wish to do likewise with the remainder of the beaten egg mixture.
   3. Prepare to fry the Westphalia balls by adding some cooking oil, lard, fat etc. to your fry pan, saucepan or deep fryer. Then heat fat until it begins smoking.
   4. Taking each Westphalia ball in turn roll it through the beaten egg mixture and then immediately transfer to the breadcrumb dish where you will need to roll the Westphalia balls around for a bit until they become nice and evenly covered in breadcrumbs. Temporarily transfer the breadcrumb coated Westphalia balls to another plate. Continue the breadcrumb coating process until you have enough to make up your first frying batch.
   5. Now use a slotted spoon to transfer the first batch of Westphalia balls into the fry pan for cooking. You may need to give them a stir every now and then if you are using a shallow fry pan. Fry the Westphalia balls until they take on a nice golden brown color. While the first batch is cooking, continue coating the next batch with breadcrumbs as before.

Figure 3 Image Source: Freshly Cooked Batch of Westphalia Balls

1. Once the first batch is cooked, take your slotted spoon and transfer the Westphalia balls to a wire rack already covered with absorbent paper towels to drain. Now use the slotted spoon to add the next batch of Westphalia balls into the fryer.
   1. Prior to taking the second batch of Westphalia balls out of them fryer transfer the now drained first batch to a platter. Transfer the second batch to the draining rack and load the next batch into fryer. Continue this process until all Westphalia balls are cooked.

Serving

Commonly served on toothpicks accompanied by a range of sauces and dips Westphalia balls are a long-standing party favorite. Versatility and adaptability are two of Westphalia balls greatest strengths and this recipe is no different. In fact these Westphalia balls do go down really well when partnered with a tomato-based sauce such as that which generally accompanies many pasta dishes as well as many common pasta and noodle dishes e.g. see Figure 4 Westphalia Balls with Noodles.

Figure 4 Image Source: Westphalia Balls with Noodles

You can even use them to form the meat part in meatballs and gravy. They are also scrumptious served on a roll, pita bread filling, tortillas or just as simple easy to prepare appetizers and snacks.

We often combine them with a basic tomato puree based tomato sauce, melted cheese and a dollop or two of sour cream. In short, Westphalia meatballs really do make a “super” recipe ingredient all the while standing on its own merits.

To Serve Warm

If you intend serving, the Westphalia balls warm, then you can serve in batches as and when each batch is cooked. Alternatively, you could cover the platter with each batch of freshly cooked Westphalia balls and place in the oven to keep warm until you are ready to serve them. Globally speaking one of the more common ways of preparing and serving Westphalia Balls or some variant is in the form of soups and stews.

Every close-knit localized region does appear to have its own particular “special” Westphalia Balls recipe about which, they are particularly staunch and very one-eyed, red neck & parochial”. However, from the “big picture” perspective Westphalia Balls are in most locations around the world served warm to hot.

Figure 5 Image Source: Indonesian Bakso Noodle Soup with Westphalia Balls

To Serve Cold

If on the other hand you intend serving the Westphalia balls cold alongside a range of dips and sources then it is most advisable to cover the Westphalia platter with plastic cling wrap and then place it in refrigerator until needed.

Do enjoy!!!