Potato Croquettes
These quick and easy potato croquettes are infused with the delicious flavor of Manchego cheese for a Spanish twist on a classic. This recipe is perfect for dipping in spicy bravas sauce, tangy alioli, or creamy romesco.Croquettes are one of the most popular Spanish tapas. And while Spanish ham croquettes reign supreme, there are plenty of other options worth seeking out. From dark black squid ink croquettes to delicious and creamy cod croquettes
Servings: 20 croquettes
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs (600g) potatoes Yukon Gold and Russet both work well. Boiled until soft (about 20-25 minutes), riced or mashed, and left to cool.
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoon salt (I recommend adding the salt before the beaten egg so that you can taste the filling, and make sure to season properly. I tend to add a bit more salt but two teaspoons is a good starting point.)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (Same thing with the pepper -- I often add two teaspoon but I love the flavor of black pepper in these!)
- ¾ cup (about 60g) grated cured Manchego cheese (You can substitute any cured sheep's milk cheese here for a similar taste, though Manchego is absolutely perfect!)
- ½ cup Flour, as needed for breading process (start with about ½ a cup, or 60 grams)
- 2 eggs, beaten (for the breading process -- if your eggs are large you might be able to use only one with a splash of water)
- ¾ cup (100g) Breadcrumbs (You can probably use less but I like having plenty to bread a few at a time.)
- olive oil, for frying (olive oil is preferred and does affect the taste -- but if you must substitute use a neutral oil such as sunflower.)
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into equal sized chunks if they are large.
- Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil.
- Add salt and boil until a butter knife pierces through easily.
- Strain all the water and pass through a potato ricer (preferred method) or mash until just mashed -- you don't want to make them dense here (which is why the potato ricer is worth investing in!). Let them cool.
- To make the croquette filling, mix the riced potatoes with the beaten egg, salt, pepper, and cheese. Do not overmix. If you want to taste the filling for seasoning, just add the egg as the last step.
- Next, while heating a pan full of olive oil on the stove, pass the croquettes through the three step breading process. First, cover them in flour, then in beaten egg, and, finally, in the breadcrumbs.
- Deep fry the croquettes in hot olive oil (if available) or vegetable oil/sunflower oil if not. They should take 3-4 minutes to brown. You can also pan fry them in less oil, flipping halfway through, but make sure they cook evenly on all sides.
- Let the potato croquettes rest on paper towels and serve hot with dipping sauces if desired.