Savoy Stew with Meatballs

For the stew: Rinse the carrots, peel and slice. Peel the potatoes and cut into bite-size cubes. Cook the carrots and potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender. Rinse under cold water and drain. Rinse the cabbage, remove the hard core and cut into strips. Heat a little butter in a saucepan and saute the cabbage briefly. Pour in the broth and cook, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is tender. Stir the potato and carrot pieces into the cabbage and season with salt and pepper.

For the meatballs: In a bowl, soak the bread in the warm milk until softened. Squeeze and transfer to a bowl with the ground meat and egg. Peel the onion, chop finely. Heat butter in a pan and saute the onion until translucent. Grate the lemon zest and add to the ground beef mixture along with the onion, season well. Knead until well combined and shape into about 20 small balls. Bring the broth to a boil, add the meatballs and simmer over medium heat until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift out.

For the sauce: Rinse the parsley, pat dry and chop. In a bowl, stir the creme fraiche with the cream and lemon juice until smooth and season with salt and pepper.