“The French cuisine without potatoes is unthinkable.” Louis Diat from Gourmet’s Basic French Cookbook (1961).
“The potato can be a lovable vegetable. Its uses are wide; it can, if well treated, accompany almost any dish with distinction.” Elizabeth David from French Country Cooking (1951).
“When Father, Mother and four children (myself and three sisters) were making a start on Glenrose Farm, dollars were scarce. But we raised much of our food at little cost, and one thing we always had in abundance was potatoes.” Haydn S. Pearson from Country Flavor Cookbook (1956).
For its versatility, its flavour, its plenty and economy, the potato is valued in European and American culinary traditions.
Potato croquettes require a blend of ingredients that will just hold together and a coating that is equally light but effective.
Chilled croquettes are likely to burst as they are fried. Whether formed and breaded shortly before serving or made in advance and refrigerated, croquettes are best when brought to room temperature before frying.
Less processed ingredient options are: Potatoes, Flour, Butter, Breadcrumbs, Salt and Olive Oil.
Equipment
- a Pan or Pot suitable for deep frying: for example, a Large Heavy Pan with High Sides and a Lid. A close European equivalent is a Sauteuse Haute, which has high sides and a long handle. An enameled aluminum pot is another good low-tech deep fryer. (There is a discussion of it here on thefoodlessprocessed: Low-Tech Deep-Frying.) The deep fryer of whatever sort should hold enough oil to allow the croquettes to float freely as they brown.
- a Pot in which to boil the potatoes
- a Colander or Bowl to hold the potatoes once they are done
- a Food Mill fitted with a medium-hole disc or Potato Masher
- a Medium-Sized Bowl in which to make the croquette mixture
- a Small Bowl in which to beat a couple of egg whites
- a Hand Mixer or Immersion Blender
- a floured Plate on which to hold the balls of potato mixture before forming croquettes
- a Rimmed Pan or Pie Plate to hold breadcrumbs
- a Rimmed Baking Pan lined with plastic wrap and sprinkled with a little flour on which to place the croquettes before and after breading them
- a Pan lined with Brown Paper or Toweling on which to drain the croquettes after frying them
Ingredients
- about 1 and 1/2 pounds (about 680 g) of any Organic Potato that is mealy in texture and good for mashing: Russet Potatoes are an American example.
- 2 Eggs (the yolk of one of them may be reserved for another use)
- 2 Tablespoons of Organic Unsalted European-Style Butter, softened
- 4 Tablespoons of Organic Unenriched All-Purpose Hard Wheat White Flour (or any unenriched flour recommended for making bread) or European All-Purpose Soft Wheat Flour (which is never enriched)–plus a little extra to flour your hands as you form and bread the croquettes
- 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of Organic Ground Nutmeg or freshly grated Nutmeg
- Chapelure (aka Fine Breadcrumbs), preferably from homemade bread: A discussion of chapelure is here on thefoodlessprocessed: Chapelure ~ a French way with Breadcrumbs.
- enough Extra=Virgin Olive Oil in the deep fryer to allow the croquettes to float freely when they are added to it
Making the Croquette Mixture
- Boil the unpeeled potatoes in a pot of salted water.
- When they are tender, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a colander or bowl.
- Cradle each hot potato in paper toweling or a dish towel as you peel it and return it to the bowl or colander.
- Place the food mill fitted with a medium-hole disc over a bowl and run the potatoes through it or place the potatoes in the bowl and mash them with a potato masher.
- Mix the butter, flour, salt and nutmeg into the potatoes.
- Separate one of the eggs, placing the white in a small bowl, and stir the yolk into the potato mixture.
- Separate a second egg, reserving the yolk for another use. Add the second egg white to the first in the small bowl.
Breading the Croquettes (for 11 or 12 croquettes)
- The potato mixture will be soft and pliable. Handle it gently. Flouring your hands a little will make shaping the croquettes easier.
- Divide the mixture into 11 or 12 balls of roughly equal size, lightly forming the balls between the palms of your hands, and place them on a floured plate. Each ball will weigh about 40 g (1.5 oz).
- Roll each ball into a cylinder shape and place it on the rimmed baking sheet lined with floured plastic.
- Whisk the eggs whites until they are frothy. Place them alongside the rimmed pan or pie plate holding the breadcrumbs.
- Roll each croquette in the egg whites, then in the breadcrumbs, and replace it on the tray.
- At this point the croquettes may be fried or refrigerated and fried later. Bring refrigerated croquettes to room temperature before frying them. Cold croquettes are more likely to burst while frying in the hot oil.
Frying the Croquettes
- Fill the frying pot or pan with enough olive oil to allow the croquettes to float freely as they fry. Place a pan lined with brown paper or toweling nearby.
- Heat the oil over medium heat. As the oil approaches frying temperature, it will begin to move and swirl on the surface. Drop a bread crumb into the oil to test its temperature. If the oil is ready, the crumb will sizzle and begin gradually to brown.
- Place half of the croquettes in the hot oil. Turn them with a slotted spoon as they begin to brown. Transfer them to the lined pan when they are golden and crisp and fry the remaining croquettes.
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