Cooking Lessons #166 Turkey Croquettes

The 2020 Holidays Recipe Collection

How you doin’?  After all the cooking for the holidays, you’re beat. You still have a ton of turkey left over and you can only eat so many turkey sandwiches. What’s a person to do with all that turkey?! Turkey Croquettes, of course!
 
Many younger people have never even heard of Turkey Croquettes (no, it’s not a popular lawn game), but tell them they’re Retro and they will clamor for them.   They are little finger foods that are a great for leftover turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. They are crispy on the outside, hot and gooey on the inside. This is a favorite that I always try to make around the holidays.
 
Historic food lore describes that the “croqueta” originated in France, where it's called a croquette. The croquette came onto the food scene in the 19th century as a tasty way of recycling leftover meat and scraps during lean times, though it's unclear who should really get the credit for the recipe. Some say it was Monsieur “Chef” Escoffier, the founder of classical French Cuisine, with the aid of Monsieur Philias Gilbert who started to write down his recipes in 1898.
 
My recipe is but a guideline for the basics. Feel free to change the seasonings at will to suite your own tastes.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Chill time:  1 to 2 hours
Fry time:  2-1/2 to 3 minutes
Yield:  4 Servings
 
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups cooked leftover turkey, finely diced
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup fine cracker crumbs or dry breadcrumbs (I prefer panko)
oil for deep frying
 
Directions

1. Melt the butter in saucepan; blend in the flour to make a light roux.
2. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth.  Cook and whisk until mixture thickens and starts to bubble; and then continuing cooking and whisking for 1 minute longer. 
3. Add the parsley, lemon juice, onion, garlic, salt, paprika, nutmeg and pepper to the sauce. 
4. Allow the mixture to cool. 
5. Add the turkey to the mixture. 
6. Check the seasoning; add salt to taste if necessary. 
7. Chill the mixture thoroughly. 
8. With wet hands, shape mixture into 8 balls (about 1/4 cup each). 
9. Mix together the egg and water in one dish and portion the crumbs in a separate dish.
10. Roll the balls in the crumbs and lightly shape balls into cones or logs. 
11. Once again, dip them into the mixture of combined egg and water, roll in the crumbs again.
12. Pour about 2” of oil into a Dutch oven or deep fryer; heat to 365⁰F.
13. Add the croquettes to the oil and cook for about 2-1/2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
14. Drain and serve.

ChefSecret:  By adding different spices and sauces you can make Mexican, Italian, German Croquettes, just use your imagination and best tastes instincts.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  The Plan vs. Reality: The Plan—update resume, search for jobs, work from home jobs, clean the closets, organize the garage, join an online exercise class and catch up on emails. Reality—Eat another bowl of packaged instant Ramen and take 3 naps before dinner.
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Here is wishing you the very best for the upcoming holidays. To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind welcoming in the holiday season. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America.

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