Skating star Henry Lie and his meatballs

It’s difficult to find out biographical details about Henry Lie. But we do know that he was a champion skater who was originally from Norway where he was the Men’s National Champion.

He had previously been atop chef and his cooking talents remained in demand. He was well-known for his meatball recipe. You can see him in the photograph below, which dates from 1948.

He liked ‘plain food that will stick to your ribs’.

Now I wouldn’t be so cruel as to tell you about his famous meatball dish without giving you the recipe, would I? Here it is:

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Norwegian Meatballs

Rating  5 from 1 reviews

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground round beef
• ½ pound ground pork
• 1 egg
• 3 - 4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Salt & pepper
• Sprinkle of nutmeg
• 1 cup beef broth
• Fat for frying
• A little cold water
• A little extra flour
• 1 large onion,sliced into rings
• Butter

Instructions

1. Mix the first seven ingredients together
2. Make balls 1½ inches thick.
3. Brown quickly in hot fat
4. Add a cup of beef broth and simmer for twenty minutes
5. Thicken broth with a little flour that has been mixed with water
6. Saute onions rings in butter and use as a garnish on the meatballs when served

3.3.3077

About Henry Lie

Henry Lie: The Norwegian Skater and his Meatball Recipe

He started his career as a chef but transferred his interests from the kitchen to the ice.  He became an ice-skating entertainer, performing throughout Europe – his speciality being skating using stilts.

But in the late 1930s, he settled in the Unites States.

He was tall, blond, good-looking and could cook; every girl’s dream? But the woman who captivated him was called Jessie Grossnickle, an athletic girl who had been a tennis prodigy and was a trained photographer.

She was apparently heavily involved in the development of synchronized swimming. (I love these daft details. Her second husband, incidentally, was a man who was an important photographer of gravestones).

In addition to his cooking and skating skills, Henry was also an expert violinist.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Jackson, also known online as BritFlorida, is a highly experienced designer and writer. British born and now living in the USA, she specialises in lifestyle issues, design and quirky stories. You can see a wide range of articles here, or visit her website Tastes Magazine. See The Writer’s Door for more information.