Theo Randall's potato and Parmesan croquettes recipe

Italian cooking maestro Theo Randall says: "I recently made these as canapés at a function I was doing. The guests were drinking Champagne, these went out and the plates kept coming back empty with the waiting staff asking for more. For any chef a clean plate is the best compliment – everyone loved them. You can make these canapé-sized for a party or golf-ball-sized for scoffing at home; either way they are delicious. Make sure the mashed potato is really dry when you add the cream and butter; if the potato is too wet it will make the croquettes harder to cook and eat."

Ingredients

Details

  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Recipe Type: Canapé
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Preparation Time: 30 mins
  • Cooking Time: 30 mins
  • Serves: 4

Step-by-step

  1. Tip the potatoes into a large saucepan with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and cover them with cold water. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook the potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until a knife goes through them easily.
  2. Drain and allow them to steam dry in the colander for at least 2 minutes, then tip the potatoes into a bowl and bash them with a whisk until the potato has become finely mashed. Set aside. 
  3. Heat the cream in a small saucepan with the butter and garlic. Bring the cream to a simmer, then pour this over the mashed potato. Beat with the whisk until the mash is very smooth and creamy.
  4. Add the parmesan and one of the beaten eggs and mix to combine, then stir through the chopped parsley and check the seasoning. Leave to cool to room temperature. 
  5. Once cool, take a tablespoonful of the mixture and shape it into a golf-ball-sized ball, then gently push the potato down to shape it into a round but flat puck. Repeat until you have used up the mixture. Place the potato pucks on a tray and chill them in the fridge for 20 minutes. 
  6. Place the breadcrumbs on a large plate, the flour on another and the remaining beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Take a potato puck and first coat it in the flour, then the beaten egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Place the coated puck back on the tray and repeat with the remainder. 
  7. Heat the sunflower oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat until the oil is shiny but not smoking. Carefully lower three breaded pucks into the hot oil and cook them for about 5 minutes, until they are a nice, golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and place them on a tray lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Repeat this process, frying 3 croquettes at a time, until you have cooked them all.
  8. Keep them warm in a low oven and serve them with lemon wedges and a little sea salt for sprinkling over.

This recipe is extracted from The Italian Pantry by Theo Randall (Quadrille, £26.00). Photography © Lizzie Mayson.

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