When developing recipes, I try to look for ways to save time, shortcuts make all our lives easy, and I’m all for them. I know boiling and mashing the potatoes the night before could save a good 30 minutes in the kitchen but when I tested the recipe, I noticed that mashed potatoes when cooled showed very poor binding capacity – the croquettes wouldn’t hold together nicely. When I used warm mashed potatoes (freshly boiled) or reheated cold mashed potatoes (by steaming them over a boiling water bath), the croquettes were again easy to shape. Clearly heat had something to do here. Why was the temperature so influential in shaping these potato-based croquettes? I got a clue from pommes aligot, a dish where warm boiled potatoes are mixed quickly with cheese and dairy to form a viscous mass that is easily stretched with a spoon. The shaping of the croquettes benefits from the same principle. As potatoes cook in the boiling water, the temperature rises, and the hydration of the starch increases (aka starch gelatinization) and the starch molecules are way better at binding and holding the croquettes together. Be gentle when shaping the croquettes, watch my Reel to get a sense of how much pressure to apply. If you press too hard, the croquette will fall apart easily. Enjoy the crispiliciousness of the croquettes and if you’re like me, it is okay to turn the “Do Not Disturb Me While I Eat” sign on. No reviews Fine sea salt ¼ cup/50 g black (Beluga) or green (Le Puy lentils) lentils 1 fresh green chilli such as bird’s eye, jalapeno, or serrano (optional) 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems 1 garlic clove, grated 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp red pepper flakes such as Aleppo, Maras, or Urfa 1 ½ cups/90 g panko breadcrumbs ¼ cup/45 g chia seeds 2 Tbsp sesame seeds 1 tsp ground black pepper 2 large eggs No reviews 4 cornichons, drained and minced 1 Tbsp chopped preserved lemon peel (See The Cook’s Notes) 1 tsp drained capers 2 Tbsp chopped chives 2 Tbsp chopped dill 2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 Tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp ground black pepper Fine sea salt Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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