MmmmMmmmm Good - Potato Croquettes - Great for Easter

This recipe was given to me by my cousin John, who is an Executive Chef in New York City.

Our mother's were first cousins
(John's mother second from left top row,
my mother, top right on the end)
and fabulous cooks - we inherited our talents!

and we spent so much time together as little kids,

went to high school together, moved to Staten Island together.
We were always together.

All of my mother's first cousins had a ton of children,
and we are still together all the time,
we grew up more like siblings than cousins
My cousins Toni, MaryAnn, Michele, and I
were, and always are together, as you can see from these pictures



He has been cooking his whole life, working in catering and making the most phenomenal dishes in many of the salumerias in Staten Island, He is now working in Long Island at Seven Brothers Catering. We are always on the phone comparing recipes or inventing new ones. One of these days, we'll have to do a cookbook together!

His son Christopher has followed in his footsteps, and my son Steven
has followed in mine when it comes to
loving to cook. In fact, Steven was home
when I decided to make the croquettes and he is
right here working along with me

This is a great recipe to go along with Easter Dinner

Wishing all of you who celebrate, a very Happy, Healthy, Easter

Potato Croquettes
Executive Chef John J. Grimaldi

6-8 Idaho Potatoes, unpeeled and left whole (six large, or 8 medium)
½ cup Hungary Jacks Instant mashed potatoes
3 eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
1½ tablespoonful dried parsley
1 cup grated cheese
1 (8 ounce) small mozzarella (You may not need the whole mozzarella) Cut into 1-inch cubes, I would cut about 20 cubes if making full size croquettes. Cut them smaller if you are making appetizer size croquettes
Oil for frying

Crumb mixture:
1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
¾ cup Flavored Italian Breadcrumbs
¼ cup grating cheese
2-3 eggs, beaten

Yield: about 18 croquettes I made 9 round and 9 oblong
If you are making them as appetizers your yield will be much greater

Place waxed paper on two cookie sheets and set aside.
Wash the potatoes and leave them whole and unpeeled. Score the potatoes in the middle all around the diameter of the potato. Place in a pot of cold water with a little salt added. Bring to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain the water and place the potatoes in a bowl of ice. Grasp the potato on each end and slide the skin off. (See the Dawn Welles Video for how to do this.)

Let the potatoes cool and put them through a potato rice into a bowl (if you don’t have a ricer, use a potato masher or a fork, do not use a mixer, you do not want them mushy.) Add the potato flakes, salt and pepper to taste, eggs, parsley, and grated cheese; blend well. You can either measure out a portion with an ice cream scoop (for large size) or a cookie scoop (for appetizer sizes.)

Place the potatoes in your hands and push a piece of the mozzarella into the middle, cover with the potato and shape into a log or round shape (whatever you prefer or both). Place on a cookie sheet. Repeat until all the croquettes are made. Spray lightly with PAM, and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. Do not cover them.

Beat the eggs for the breading in a small dish or bowl. Mix the Panko, breadcrumbs and grating cheese together in a separate bowl. Dip the croquette into the egg, and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place back on the cookie sheet, and refrigerate for about another hour before frying (this is to prevent the mozzarella from leaking out.)

Place about 1½-inches of oil in to a large sauté or frying pan. Heat the oil and when it is hot (test it by adding a little breadcrumb to the oil, if it bubbles, it’s ready to begin frying). Try to only turn the croquettes once and use some type of spatula rather than piercing them with a fork. When they are golden brown, they are done. Place on a piece of paper towel to absorb the grease and them transfer to a serving platter.

My cousin John is an executive chef in New York and he gave me this recipe. He said you could prepare these in advance and freeze them once they are breaded. You can then fry them frozen, or he suggested, letting thaw a little and then frying them. They may need a little extra time to fry if they are frozen. He says that you can make them up to two hours in advance and serve them at room temperature if you are having a party. I like them hot with a nice steak dinner!

This is what you need for the recipe:



Potato Croquettes
Executive Chef John J. Grimaldi

6-8 Idaho Potatoes, unpeeled and left whole (six large, or 8 medium)
½ cup Hungary Jacks Instant mashed potatoes
3 eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
1½ tablespoonful dried parsley
1 cup grated cheese
1 (8 ounce) small mozzarella (You may not need the whole mozzarella) Cut into 1-inch cubes, I would cut about 20 cubes if making full size croquettes. Cut them smaller if you are making appetizer size croquettes
Oil for frying

Crumb mixture:
1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
¾ cup Flavored Italian Breadcrumbs
¼ cup grating cheese
2-3 eggs, beaten

Yield: about 18 croquettes I made 9 round and 9 oblong
If you are making them as appetizers your yield will be much greater

Place waxed paper on two cookie sheets and set aside


Cut your mozzarella into one inch slices


Cut each slice in strips

Cut into cubes



Set aside


Place the eggs in a dish


Beat with a fork; set aside


Wash the potatoes
and leave them whole and unpeeled


Score the potatoes in the middle all around the diameter of the potato. Place in a pot of cold water with a little salt added. Bring to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain the water and place the potatoes in a bowl of ice.


Grasp the potato on each end and slide the skin off.
(See the Dawn Welles Video for how to do this.)
We found this this after this recipe was made



Steven putting the ricer together


Let the potatoes cool and put them through a potato ricer


into a bowl


(if you don’t have a ricer, use a potato masher
or a fork, do not use a mixer, you do not want them mushy)


Add the potato flakes,


pepper,


salt


parsley,



grated cheese,


Blend well

Add the eggs

Mix well again


You can either measure out a portion with an ice cream scoop eggs,
(for large size) or a cookie scoop (for appetizer sizes.) if you want to





Place the potatoes in your hands,
add a cube of mozzarella in the middle,

cover with the potato


and shape into a log or round shape
(whatever you prefer or both).








Place on a cookie sheet



I've made a small one so you can see
what you can use for an appetizer



Repeat until all the croquettes are made





Spray lightly with PAM,




and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight
Do not cover them.


Make the breading;


Place the grating cheese

Seasoned breadcrumbs

Panko crumbs

Mix the Panko, breadcrumbs and grating cheese together


Break the eggs into a dish


Beat the eggs
for the breading in a small dish or bowl


Dip the croquette into the egg,


and then into the breadcrumb mixture


Place back on the cookie sheet,



and refrigerate for about another hour before frying
(this is to prevent the mozzarella from leaking out.)

Place about 1½-inches of oil in to a large sauté or frying pan


Heat the oil and when it is hot (test it by adding a little breadcrumb
to the oil, if it bubbles, it’s ready to begin frying).


Try to only turn the croquettes once and
use some type of spatula rather than
piercing them with a fork
When they are golden brown, they are done

Place on a piece of paper towel to absorb the
grease and them transfer to a serving platter



Place on a serving platter



John said you could prepare these in advance and freeze them once they are breaded. You can then fry them frozen, or he suggested, letting thaw a little and then frying them. They may need a little extra time to fry if they are frozen. He says that you can make them up to two hours in advance and serve them at room temperature if you are having a party. I like them hot with a nice steak dinner or chicken cutlet dinner!