I don’t do a lot of fried foods, but when I do, I make these deep-fried croquettes. They are excellent served with my caramelized sweet onion dip or with a dip of your choosing.
Croquette ingredients:
1 large russet potato
¾ cup frozen corn kernels
½ cup mild cheddar cheese (grated)
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 large garlic cloves (minced)
5 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Croquette directions:
Prepare a layer of paper towels (for soaking up excess oil).
Boil the potato until a fork easily pierces to the middle of the potato. Allow the potato to cool and then peel and, using a ricer, grate it into a large bowl. Gently mix in the corn, cheese, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic. Add the flour and salt to this mixture and stir to combine all ingredients. Cover this mixture and refrigerate for about an hour before frying.
To fry, heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Scoop out three tablespoons of the croquette mixture and form into a ball. Slide the croquette gently into the hot oil. The croquette should slowly rise to the surface. When it turns golden on one side, turn it over with a slotted spoon. Turn again and a couple of times more to get an even golden color.
Carefully remove the croquette to the paper towels — do the same for the remaining croquette mixture. The croquettes should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Dip ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium sweet Vidalia onions (chopped fine)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
4 ounces Chèvre cheese (room temperature)
1½ teaspoons white-wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh chives (chopped fine)
Dip Directions:
Heat the oil on medium heat using a large skillet. Add onions and sauté, frequently stirring, until golden brown (about eight minutes). Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine cooled onions, sour cream, Chèvre, vinegar, and chives. Cover and chill the dip for an hour before serving.
Chef Randy’s latest book: Ojai Valley Quarantine Cookbook Now available on Amazon!
For additional recipes, see Chef Randy’s website at valley-vegetarian.com.
Chef Randy has been a vegetarian for over 40 years and eats local and organic grain, fresh fruit, and vegetables as much as possible. He is known locally as the “Healthy Chef.” His column, Chef Randy, is syndicated in California newspapers. See his website at Valley-Vegetarian.com for more recipes.
Get Citizensjournal.us Headlines free SUBSCRIPTION. Keep us publishing – DONATE
