2/26/2012

Sunday Dinner

Pin It

Egg, Onion, and Apple Croquettes

Porc Sylvie
(boneless pork loin stuffed with Gruyère)
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Glazed Carrots

served with orange segments warmed in a simple syrup and lightly sweetened whipped cream



I love it when my Sunday dinners are somewhat planned for me by what is on sale at the market and what I already have available. Onions and Gruyère cheese were on sale at my local market.  I had a boneless pork loin in the freezer.  Dried fruit is always in my pantry this time of year.  I had a craving for mashed taters and I never need an excuse to make a cake, especially if it is an easy one. 

I have made these tasty little "apps" (as we like to call our appetizers) several times.  The first time they were a total flop.  They were good, but I knew even before I fried them that there was not enough binder to keep them together.  Yep, they exploded.  But, we still ate them ☺.  The second time, I made a thick béchamel-like paste and added an extra raw egg for the binder.  They fried beautifully and they were delicious.  The third time, I added chopped chives for a little freshness and rolled them panko in lieu of the bread crumbs.  End result-- perfection!


You might think at first-- "How do these flavors come together well?"  I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical myself.  I mean come on, hard-boiled eggs, onion, and dried apple fried together and then dipped in a sauce made with applesauce and horseradish (applesauce and horseradish, really?).  I can't explain it, but I can tell you it works and it is good.  It is that sweet savory combo that I so dearly love.  You can certainly use bottled applesauce, but I think making your own is the way to go. Having a batch of homemade applesauce also helps with weekday meal planning.  Use it as a side to potato pancakes (need to get to those recipes) for dinner--mmm, or pack in containers for school/work lunches.

Sunday Dinner one year ago


Egg, Onion, and Apple Croquettes
makes about 2 dozen

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chicken broth
6 hard-boiled extra large eggs, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried apple
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
3 raw extra large eggs, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups panko crumbs
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 teaspoons horseradish or to taste

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the flour and stir to form a paste.  Pour in the milk and broth, whisking constantly until no lumps remain.  Continue to cook until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 1-2 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly.

Add the egg, apple, lemon juice, chives, one of the raw eggs, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the cooled flour mixture.  Chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the remaining two eggs in a shallow bowl; beat to combine.  Place the panko crumbs in another shallow bowl.

Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, shape the chilled egg/onion/apple mixture into 1-inch balls.  Coat each ball in the beaten raw eggs, shaking off the excess, and roll them in the panko.  Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.  Chill the croquettes, loosely covered, for 1 hour.

In a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed deep skillet, heat 2-3 inches of oil to 350º F.  Using a bamboo skimmer/strainer, carefully lower a few croquettes into the hot oil.  Fry, turning once, until the croquettes are golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the croquettes to a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain. Continue with the remaining croquettes.  Croquettes can be kept in a 200º F oven until ready to serve.

In a small bowl, stir together the applesauce and horseradish.  Serve the croquettes warm with the sauce. Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from The Best of Gourmet 1992, from the editors of Gourmet

5 comments:

  1. They look sure tasty and beautiful! Well done! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the croquettes and applesauce, will try soon. Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  3. These look sinfully delicous-yum!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yum ! This is great after church when you're on the go.


    ratedkb.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Nicole,
    This post is very nice. I love the recipe. It is very delicious to look at. Thank you for sharing the ingredients and recipe. Hope your next recipe will published soon.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting my blog! I love hearing from family, friends, and bloggers, so please leave a comment. Happy cooking!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...