Korokke • コロッケ | Japanese Croquette

Recipe by:    Fae’s Twist & Tango    (fae-magazine.com)

INGREDIENTS

For Meat korokke (¹):    make  4  large-sized  or  6  average-sized korokke
•   220 g/ 8 oz potato, high-starch grade[1]
•   1 Tbsp unsalted butter
•   110 g/ 4 oz  sweet onion, finely diced
•   110 g/ 4 oz low-fat ground beef (or ground meat of choice)
•   salt & ground black pepper to taste
•   option:   smidgen of spice/herb of choice, i.e. nutmeg, curry powder, cumin powder, parsley, etc.
•   option for color:   1 Tbsp each of  green peas  &/or  finely diced carrot

For vegetable korokke (²):    make  4  large-sized  or  6  average-sized korokke
•   220 g/ potato,  high-starch grade[1]
•   1  Tbsp  unsalted butter
•   110 g/ 4 oz  sweet onion, finely diced
•   1½  Tbsp carrots, finely diced
•   1½  Tbsp green peas
•   1½  Tbsp canned corn kernels
•   salt   &   ground black pepper   to taste
•   option:   smidgen of spice/herb of choice, i.e. nutmeg, curry powder, cumin powder, parsley, etc.

For frying
•   1 large egg
•   3  Tbsp water
•   6  Tbsp  unbleached all-purpose flour
•   panko Japanese white breadcrumbs for coating
•   vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

◊  Peel potato, cut in several pieces, soak in water for 5 minutes and drain.  Put potato in a saucepan, fill and cover with water, add a little salt,  and boil on high until skewer goes through (~ 15 minutes). Drain in a colander and let all liquid completely drain/evaporate. Return to the pot and mash the potato while it is hot. Cover with paper towel, put the lid on to keep it warm until its next step.

◊  Meanwhile:
(¹)   For meat filling:   In a non-stick fry-pan, on medium-high heat, melt butter, add cut onion and sautée until translucent. Add ground meat and sautée until well-browned/cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste  mid-way  (if adding minced carrot and/or peas for color, add them a couple of minutes before the meat is done). Set aside.
(²)   For vegetable filling:   In a non-stick fry-pan, on medium-high heat, melt butter, add cut onion and sautée until translucent. Add minced carrot, peas, corn, salt & pepper to taste and  sautée for 2 minutes.

◊  Add filling   (¹)  or  (²),  mix well, flatten on a large plate and put in refrigerator, uncovered for 30 minutes or until well-chilled (for better forming).

◊  Meanwhile,  prepare for the frying.  In a wide bowl, beat the egg, add water and beat, add flour and beat until smooth.  Put 1 cup panko on a plate, replenish as needed.  Prepare a large dish, lined with paper towel.

◊  When potato mix is chilled, form 4 ~ 6  korokkes  (for each 220 g potato used) as seen in the photos.  Wear a plastic sandwich bag on one hand and pick a formed korokke and dip it into the egg mixture. Coat all over and place on the panko one by one. Remove the plastic from hand and coat korokkes all over with panko and  shake off excess crumbs.

◊  Also  see [2]   –   Pour oil into a deep pot  (to avoid splatter) about 3cm/ 1.5″ deep.  Heat on medium-high.  When the oil is around 175°C / 350°F (drop a piece of panko to see how fast it sizzles and floats… oil has to be hot  for  korokke  not to fall apart),  put in  4  korokkes at  a time  (don’t overcrowd the pot).  Inside is already cooked, it is being deep fried for golden crispness and taste.  Deep fry only until golden, carefully flip if needed. When golden brown as seen in the photos, remove from oil and place them on the plate lined with paper towel.

◊  Serve warm with ketchup, or tonkatsu sauce  (Japanese thick Worcestershire sauce) or Worcestershire sauce. Goes very well with Japanese rice, bread, salads, shredded cabbage.

~    どうぞめしあがれ  •  Douzo Meshiagare    ~

[1]   Potato starch content varies, which affects the texture in cooking:
♦  High-starch    potatoes, such as russets, have a light, mealy texture. Once boiled, they are ideal for mashing.
♦  Medium-starch    potatoes, such as Finnish yellow and Yukon gold, contain more moisture so they don’t fall apart quite as easily as high-starch potatoes.
♦  Low-starch    potatoes, such as round red, round white, and new potatoes, are often called waxy potatoes. They hold their shape better than other potatoes when boiled, making them perfect for potato salads or tossing with seasoned butter as a side dish.

[2]   Although korokke is commonly deep fried to have all around crispness,  since it is already cooked inside, (for flat shaped korokke) it may be fried, on both sides,  in just a little oil in a fry-pan.

Recipe by:    Fae’s Twist & Tango   (fae-magazine.com)

INGREDIENTS

For the filling
•   1 Tbsp butter
•   220 g / 4 oz  sweet onion, finely diced
•   110 g/ 4 oz crab meat, cooked/shredded (option: chicken meat, cooked/shredded)
•   salt to taste
•   a few drops of lemon juice

For the white sauce
•   57 g/ 4  Tbsp   unsalted butter
•   32 g/ 4  Tbsp   unbleached, all-purpose flour
•   240 ml/ 1 cup whole milk

For frying
•   ½  egg
•   1½  Tbsp water
•   3  Tbsp  unbleached all-purpose flour
•   panko Japanese white breadcrumbs for coating
•   vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

◊  For the filling:   In a small non-stick fry-pan, melt the butter, add cut onion and saute until translucent.  Add cooked/uncooked crab meat and stir for 2 ~3 minutes, (until crab is cooked). Add salt, a few drops of lemon juice, stir and turn off/remove from heat. Set aside.

◊  For the white sauce:   In a small non-stick saucepan, on medium-high heat, melt the butter. As soon as it starts boiling, add the flour and constantly stir with silicone spatula until it starts boiling. Add milk and vigorously stir until white sauce is smooth. Turn off the heat and add sautéed onion and crab meat mixture  (or onion and corn) and mix well. Flatten on a plate and put in refrigerator uncovered for 30 minutes or until well-chilled (for better forming).

◊  When mixture is chilled, form 8  short, cylinder-shaped  korokkes as seen in the photo. Wear a plastic sandwich bag on one hand and pick a formed korokke and dip it into the egg mixture, coat all over and place it on the panko one by one. Remove the plastic from hand and coat korokkes all over with panko and shake off excess crumbs.

◊  Pour oil into a deep pot  (to avoid splatter) about 3cm/ 1.5″ deep.  Heat on medium-high.  When the oil is around 175°C / 350°F (drop a piece of panko and see how fast it sizzles and quickly floats…..it should right away),  put in  4  korokkes at  a time  (don’t overcrowd the pot).  Inside is already cooked, it is being deep fried for golden crispness and taste. Deep fry only until golden, carefully flip if needed. When golden brown as seen in the photos, remove from oil and place them on the plate lined with paper towel.

◊ Serve with Japanese rice and salad.

~    どうぞめしあがれ  •  Douzo Meshiagare    ~