French cooking is full of surprises. Although we’re all familiar with the French food staples of garlic, duck fat and provincial herbs, we owe a lot more to French cuisine than we may consciously know. Julia Child rose to prominence as a result of her translating the knowledge of classic French cuisine so that it would be accessible to American families. To make things more specific, have you ever heard of a croquette?
If not, the recipe itself is simple enough—and it’s definitely delicious. The croquette is a French recipe not entirely dissimilar from a tater tot, though it starts with softening your potatoes, molding them into balls and tossing them in a delicious breadcrumb mix. Although the recipe contains straightforward ingredients, the results are sure to wow your friends.
Here’s what you need:
- 1 1/2 pounds of russet potatoes, mashed
- 3 medium eggs
- 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of water
- 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of fresh minced parsley
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
Here’s what you do:
1. Before anything else, get your oven preheated to 375 degrees. Get a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
2. Next, get one of your large bowls mix together your mashed potatoes, one egg, cheese, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and stir everything together. After you’re satisfied with the mixture, scoop it out in two-tablespoon servings and shape it all into a tube shape.
3. Get your potato tubes and line them all up on your baking sheet. After that, get three bowls which you’re going to use during the coating process. Fill one with your flour, another with a mixture of beaten eggs and water and one with breadcrumbs. Roll your croquettes in flour, dip them in the egg and then roll them in breadcrumbs. Finally, set them on your baking sheet.
4. Now that you’re ready to cook, get some oil in a skillet going over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot enough, fry your croquettes in it for three to five minutes, turning them all around until they’re gently browned all over. Once they’re covered, throw them back on your baking sheet.
5. Finally, toss the baking sheet in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the exteriors get crispy. After that, transfer your croquettes to a serving platter and add your favorite dipping sauce and voila!
As you can see, there’s nothing too complex about making these delicious croquettes—and the real secret is in cooking it twice! After you’ve made this recipe a few times, you can also start experimenting with the coating and with the potatoes themselves. For a different texture, try steaming the potatoes instead of boiling them. Cooking them this way leads to a drier texture than boiling them would.
On the other hand, you can also bake the potatoes if you’d like. No matter how you do it, you can also feed your cooked potatoes through a potato ricer or a mill for a finer texture than you may be able to achieve by just mashing up. Of course, there’s also plenty of variability when it comes to what you mix into the potatoes themselves—adding in roasted garlic cloves and mincing them can add even more flavor and texture! As always, have fun with this one as it’s sure to impress your friends!
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