Croquettes

By LaLaCooks

James Beard recipe

Tiny croquettes are always welcome members of the hors d’oeuvre tray. For this type of service, the croquette mixture should be formed into tiny balls about the size of marbles or into small rolls about one inch long and very thin. Fry them in deep fat at a temperature of about 390°F. (or hot enough to brown a one-inch cube of bread in approximately three quarters of a minute). Drain them well and serve on a napkin.

Usually your meat or fish mixture is mixed with a heavy Bechamel sauce in the proportions given below and the whole blended well and shaped. Dip the croquettes into beaten egg and be sure they are completely submerged. Then dip in breadcrumbs and place in a frying basket which previously has been dipped into the hot fat. The average time for frying is about two to three minutes for this size croquette.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of butter
• 3 tablespoons of arrowroot
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of cooked chicken
• 1 teaspoon of onion juice
• Few drops of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• 2/3 cup of Bechamel Sauce for Croquettes (see above)
• 1 cup of ham, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon onion juice
• 2 tablespoons of grated Switzerland Swiss cheese
• 1 teaspoon of tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon of chopped olive
• ½ cup of Bechamel Sauce for Croquettes (see above)
• Egg, for dipping
• Breadcrumbs, for coating
• 1 cup of cooked, shredded, salt cod
• 1 ½ cups of mashed potatoes
• 1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
• ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 egg, well beaten
• Breadcrumbs

Preparation

Step 1

For Béchamel Sauce:

Use 2/3 cup of chicken stock and only ½ cup of cream if you wish. Melt the butter and add the arrowroot, or if this is unavailable, add well-sifted flour. Blend these well and cook for a minute. Stir in the cream and stock gradually and stir with a wire whisk. Once the sauce reaches the boiling point, simmer it for a minute or two.

For Chicken Croquettes:

Mix the chicken with seasonings and add 2/3 cup of the sauce. Allow this to cool, shape into balls, and fry.

For Ham Croquettes:

Mix the ham and seasonings and add 1/2 cup of the sauce. Blend well, form into balls, dip in beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and fry.

For Codfish Croquettes:

Mix the shredded codfish and the mashed potatoes well. Add the seasonings and the well-beaten egg. Form into balls and dip in egg and breadcrumbs and fry.