Potato Croquettes

Crocche de Patate (Potato Croquettes)

Hi again! I decided that some good hearty potatoes would be good tonight so it was a good chance to try out a recipe that Addie found while at a seminar in Boise. The booklet was published by the Washington State Potato Commission. The recipe was from Chef K. Stolte. I varied it by using Italian sausage in lieu of Salame Napoli. For those that dont want a meat in the dish, this recipe will work just fine without it. After I had made this tonight, I decided that it seemed more logical to pair a meat with the croquettes rather than in them. I also added a Dijon hollendaise sauce atop the croquettes. Anyway, here it goes. I hope you enjoy them. I sure did!

***** Potato Croquettes *****

2 lbs. white or Yukon Gold potatoes
6 - tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 cup grated parmeson cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. flour
2 egg yolks
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 cup cooked, chopped Italian sausage or Salame Napoli (Optional)
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Coating
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup fine bread crumbs

Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice into chunks. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with water. Bring them to boiling and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until tender (about 10-15 minutes). Drain well. Allow to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl mash the potatoes with a hand held masher. Add in the butter, Parmeson, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add in the 1 tbsp of flour. Stir in the egg yolks. Cover and allow to chill for two hours in the refrigerator.

Assembly time....

Using a 1/3 cup measure portion out the croquettes. In the center of each portion put about 1 tbsp of Mozzarella, a pinch of parsley, and 1 tsp of the Italian sausage. Fold the potato mixture over the filling forming balls or cone shapes.

Heat the deep fryer to 350 degrees

In three shallow bowls stage the 2 beaten eggs, the 1 cup of flour, and the 1 cup of bread crumbs. Coat the croquettes first in the flour, then the egg, then roll in the bread crumbs. Deep fry for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain well on paper towels and serve hot.

I made up a basic hollendaise sauce and added 2 tsp of country style Dijon mustard to create the sauce. If anyone wants to know how to make a Hollendaise sauce, let me know and I will post a section on sauces. You can also cheat a little by using a packet Hollendaise sauce and add the Dijon. Not exactly the same, but works in a pinch and is quicker.

Let me know how you did with this!

Just Harv

mitchellhw@comcast.net