Potato Croquettes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart saucepan for boiling
• •Potato ricer or fine sturdy sieve
• •12-inch wide sauté pan
• •Shallow dish or quarter sheet pan
• •Kitchen scale for 1½-ounce portions
• •Three shallow dishes for breading
• •Heavy 3-quart saucepan for frying
• •Clip-on deep-fry thermometer
• •Spider or slotted spoon
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes

   Put the evenly quartered potatoes in a 4-quart saucepan and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt, bring the water promptly to a boil, then hold it at a strong, steady simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. The potatoes are ready when a small knife passes through without resistance, but before their corners begin collapsing into the water. Drain them thoroughly.

   Cut every quarter to roughly the same size. Small pieces that collapse while large ones remain firm give you wet, uneven purée.
2. 2

   Rice and dry

   Return the drained potatoes to the empty hot saucepan and shake them over low heat for 2 minutes, until their surfaces look chalky and the last water has disappeared. Pass them through a potato ricer into a wide sauté pan; if using a sieve, press the potato straight through with a scraper and never rub it around, which works the starch into glue. Add the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, the white pepper, nutmeg, and the 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter. Stir over medium-high heat for 4 to 6 minutes, turning the purée over firmly until it becomes a consistent paste, pulls from the sides, and leaves a clean trail behind the spatula. If it still slumps back into that trail, don't add the yolks. Keep drying it. Ça se rattrape now; once the yolks are in, excess water is much harder to correct.

   The purée will become heavier and slightly resistant under the spatula. That resistance is the signal, not the clock.
3. 3

   Bind and cool

   Take the pan off the heat and let the fiercest heat subside for 30 seconds. Beat in the yolks one at a time, mixing each completely before adding the next; the paste should turn richer and smoother without becoming loose. Butter a shallow dish or quarter sheet pan with half the softened butter, spread the paste about ½ inch thick, then brush the remaining softened butter lightly over its surface to prevent a skin. Cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until firm and cold enough to hold a clean shape.

4. 4

   Portion and shape

   Dust the work surface and your hands lightly with some of the flour. Divide the cold paste into 15 portions of about 1½ ounces (42 g) each, keeping the portions equal so they fry at the same pace. Roll each into a compact cork about 2 inches long and 1 inch thick, closing every crack with your fingertips. Balls or small quoits are also classical shapes, but choose one form for the batch. If the paste softens or sticks instead of rolling cleanly, return it to the cold for 15 minutes; don't bury it in flour.

5. 5

   Bread à l'anglaise

   Arrange the remaining flour, the prepared Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174), and the fine breadcrumbs in three shallow dishes. Roll each croquette very lightly in flour and shake off the excess, coat it completely in the Anglaise, then roll it through the crumbs. Pat the crumbs firmly over the entire surface while correcting the cork shape, paying particular attention to the ends and any fine seam. This continuous coat becomes the resisting crust that keeps the potato inside. Set the breaded croquettes on a rack or lined tray and chill for 15 minutes so the coating settles.

   Bare spots become leaks. If you can see moist potato through the coating, touch that spot again with Anglaise and crumbs before frying.
6. 6

   Heat the frying oil

   Pour the oil into a heavy 3-quart saucepan to a depth of about 3 inches, never filling the pan more than halfway. Heat it to 350°F (180°C) and keep the thermometer clipped where it doesn't touch the bottom. The fat must be properly hot before the first croquette enters, because the Anglaise must set at once; lukewarm oil soaks the crust before it can seal.

7. 7

   Fry until golden

   Fry one croquette as a test, lowering it gently with a spider and turning it once, until evenly golden, crisp, and hot through, about 2½ to 3 minutes. If it holds, fry the rest in batches of three or four, allowing the oil to return to 350°F (180°C) between batches. If the test croquette cracks or leaks, lift it out immediately, chill the remaining croquettes for another 20 minutes, and patch every visible crack with a little flour, Anglaise, and crumbs. Ça se rattrape. If the crust darkens before the center warms, let the oil fall slightly to 340°F (170°C). Drain the finished croquettes on a wire rack, season with a small pinch of salt if needed, and serve at once while the crust still answers the fork. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use a floury potato. Russets dry readily and pass through a ricer without a struggle; waxy potatoes hold more moisture and can become elastic under the spatula.
• •A ricer is the clean home equivalent of pressing the potato through a sieve without rubbing. If you use a sieve, work in small amounts and press straight down rather than smearing the potato across the mesh.
• •Always fry one test croquette. It tells you whether the purée is cold enough, the coat is intact, and the oil is ready before the whole batch is committed.
• •Fine, even crumbs make the strongest coat. Coarse flakes leave gaps and brown in patches, which is handsome on some fried foods but wrong for this sealed classical crust.
• •Serve the croquettes beside roast chicken, a veal or beef braise, or any dish with enough sauce to meet that tender potato center. They need no decorative garnish.

Advance Preparation

• •The potato paste can be made a day ahead. Spread it thinly in the buttered dish, butter the surface as directed, cover once cold, and refrigerate.
• •The croquettes can be shaped, breaded, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before frying. Keep them in a single layer with enough space that their crumb coats remain dry and intact.
• •For longer storage, freeze the breaded croquettes in a single layer until firm, then wrap them well. Fry them directly from frozen at 340°F (170°C), allowing an extra minute or two for the centers to heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)