Croquettes de Pommes de Terre à la Dauphine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital kitchen scale
• •Three shallow dishes for breading
• •4-quart (3.8 L) deep saucepan or cocotte
• •Clip-on frying thermometer
• •Spider or heatproof slotted spoon
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray

Instructions

1. 1

   Cool and portion

   Set the prepared Dauphine Potatoes (No. 220) on a tray and work with them cool and firm, never warm or refrigerator-hard. If the paste feels loose, spread it about 2 cm thick and chill it for 15 minutes rather than adding flour; extra flour steals the lift supplied by the pâte à choux. Weigh twelve portions of 2 ounces (56 to 57 g) each. The source gives that size deliberately, large enough to stay tender within its crust but small enough to warm before the coating darkens.

   No scale? Flatten the paste into an even rectangle, divide it into four equal strips, then cut each strip into three pieces. A scale is more exact, but this keeps the portions close.
2. 2

   Mould the corks

   Roll each portion gently between your palms into a short cork about 2½ inches (6 cm) long and 1¼ inches (3 cm) thick. Close every fissure with a fingertip and square the ends without compressing the paste into a dense plug. If the cylinders slump or cling badly, return them to the cold for another 10 minutes. Ça se rattrape: chill the paste, never burden it with more flour.

3. 3

   Paner à l’anglaise

   Arrange three shallow dishes in order: flour, Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174), and fine bread crumbs. Roll each cork lightly in flour and tap away every excess, coat it completely in the Anglaise, then let the surplus drain before rolling it in crumbs. Press just firmly enough to close the coat around the ends and seams. The flour gives the egg something dry to grip, while the egg and crumbs form the resisting crust that holds the soft paste inside. Patch any bare spot with a dab more Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) and fresh crumbs, then chill the breaded croquettes for 15 minutes.

   Use fine, dry crumbs rather than coarse panko. The source intends a close, even shell that seals immediately in the fat, not a jagged crust.
4. 4

   Heat the frying fat

   Pour the oil into a deep 4-quart (3.8 L) saucepan or cocotte to a depth of about 3 inches (7.5 cm), leaving the vessel no more than one-third full. Heat it to 350°F (175°C). The fat must be hot enough to set the egg coating immediately; cooler oil seeps through the crumbs and gives a heavy, greasy shell. Keep the pot lid nearby and the work area dry.

5. 5

   Test the first

   Lower one croquette gently into the oil with a spider or slotted spoon. Fry it for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once or twice, until evenly deep gold and firm beneath the spoon. The bubbling should be lively but controlled. If the croquette splits, lift it out, return the oil to 350°F (175°C), patch any visible fissures on the remaining croquettes with Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) and crumbs, then chill them for 10 minutes. Ça se rattrape. If the test darkens in less than 2 minutes, lower the heat before continuing.

6. 6

   Fry in batches

   Fry the remaining croquettes three at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, letting the oil return to 350°F (175°C) between batches. Crowding drops the temperature and softens the crust, so give them room to move. Turn them gently for even color, then lift them onto a wire rack. A rack lets excess fat fall away without trapping moisture against the underside.

7. 7

   Drain and serve

   Let the croquettes stand on the rack for 2 minutes, just long enough for the crust to settle, then pile them generously on a warm platter. Serve beside roast poultry, veal, or beef, with any jus offered alongside rather than poured over their crisp coats. The shell should give cleanly under the fork and reveal a pale, tender center lifted by choux. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The potato-to-choux proportion lives inside the prepared Dauphine Potatoes (No. 220), so don't adjust it here with extra potato, flour, cheese, or egg. That ratio is what makes the center lift rather than sit heavily.
• •Fine crumbs are part of the seal. Rub coarse dry bread crumbs through a sieve if necessary; large flakes leave gaps where the softened paste can escape.
• •A thermometer is the honest home equivalent of a service fryer held at temperature. Test one croquette alone, then correct the heat before committing the rest.
• •Serve these immediately. They belong beside a roast or a plainly cooked piece of meat, and the wine should follow that main dish rather than the potatoes.

Advance Preparation

• •Complete the Dauphine Potatoes (No. 220) and Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) according to their own entries before this recipe's clock begins. Keep the Anglaise chilled until needed because it contains raw egg.
• •The croquettes may be shaped and breaded up to 6 hours ahead. Refrigerate them in one layer on a crumb-dusted tray, lightly covered, then let them stand for 10 minutes while the oil heats.
• •Fried croquettes are best served at once. If dinner timing demands it, fry them up to 30 minutes early and reheat them on a rack at 425°F (220°C) for 5 to 7 minutes; the result is good, though the first frying remains finer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (3 croquettes, about 230g)