Ingredients
- 1 quart milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup assorted kitchen scraps (washed peels, stalks and stems)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4–5 cups chopped leftover cooked meat (I had chicken, turkey and smoked pork shoulder)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup plain flour
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups homemade breadcrumbs (from ciabatta, for instance)
Preparation
Bring the milk to a soft boil. Add bay leaf and kitchen scraps. Simmer low for 30 minutes. Strain and cool.
Melt butter in large pot. Add flour, mix and cook for about 5 minutes. Add milk little by little, mixing it in well, to a smooth, silky and batter-like thickness*. Mix in mustard, Worcestershire and season well with salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust if too bland.
Stir in meat and mix well. Pour croquette base into a rectangular dish 13 x 9 inch. Chill overnight. Cut to divide into equal portions of each 1.5 x 3 inch.
Prepare 3 bowls, 1 each for flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs (replenish as needed). Take a portion, roll in flour, then egg and finish with breadcrumbs. Roll between palms to shape into a cylinder and transfer to a plate. Continue until done. Alternatively: shape into balls!
Deep-fry until golden and hot and serve with mustard, a mixed salad and crusty bread for lunch!
*Add 2 teaspoons of gelatin, dissolved in water. It will help keep the croquette base solid during the breading process. I didn’t use any for this recipe as it was solid enough.
New Braunfels Brewing Co. ‘Blondine’—this beer made predominantly from wheat by the New Braunfels Brewing Company has a wonderful balance of malty-sweetness and crisp, clean acidity. Anything fried works well with the smooth and creamy textural components while being refreshing and cleansing to the palate with its sour notes.
