Crocche di Patate
sometimes, mistakenly called panzerotti, are a really
delightful addtion to your antipasto tray. We try to serve them slightly warm,
but more often than not, they never even make it to the tray. They are gobbled
up as soon as they come from the frying pan.
Ingredients:
Potatoes: 2.5
pounds
Eggs: 3 yolks (conserve the
whites – you might need them) plus one
whole egg
Parmesan cheese (grated): 5 rounded tablespoons
Parsely (finely chopped): ½ cup
Lard, butter, or vegetable shortening: 2.5 ounces
Note:
The
amount required for the next four ingredients, in Italian, is quanto basta
(q.b.). This simply means what is enough or the necessary amount. When you see
what they are for you will understand how much is enough.
All purpose flour: q.b.
Salt: q.b.
Pepper: q.b.
Bread crumbs (plain or seasoned): q.b.
How to do it:
In a large pot, boil the potatoes (not peeled) until they
are cooked through completely.
Peel them, one at a time, leaving the unpeeled potatoes in the boiling water
until you are ready for them.
As soon as you finish peeling a potato, pass it through a
potato ricer. (follow
this link if you need a ricer)
Go to the next potato and repeat the peeling and ricing process.
Continue in this manner until all of the potatoes are peeled and riced.
Try to do the above operation as quickly as possible because we don’t want the
potatoes to cool too much.
When all the potatoes are peelred and riced, put them in a large bowl and season
with the lard, butter, or vegetable shortening, the grated parmesan, parsely,
salt, and pepper (don’t get carried away with the pepper.
Mix the ingredients well with clean hands for a good while adding, one at a
time, the three egg yolks.
If the mixture seems too hard you can even add one or two of the egg whites.
With your hands, moistened in cooking oil, make small cylinders from the potato
mixture about three inches long and ½ inch in diameter.
As you make them, roll them in flour, then bathe them in the one remaing egg
that has been lightly beaten, and roll them in bread crumbs.
Place them on some waxed paper that has a thin layer of bread crumbs on it .
When the potato mix is finished, place the croquettes aside to finish cooling.
The size isn’t real important.
You can make them larger if you want.
Once cool, fry them in vegetable oil until lightly browned.
Serve warm or room temperature.
