Potatoes are New World. If you say Old World to me, I often think of Ancient Greece, about as far away from Peru as you can get. Yet, over the centuries, Old and New Worlds have grown quite close. Take those New World potatoes and combine them with Greek feta cheese — is there any more symbolic Greek food — and you arrive at these croquettes.
Now, Suzi and I tend not to do fried food. There is a mess and a lingering smell to be sure. But sometimes, some foods are so seductive that even if you are fry-shy it is hard to resist a combination like potatoes + feta + herbs + spices.
This dish can be a side, of course, but there is this tendency for folks to just each one croquette after another. So, it’s a lovely main course. Pair with a side and, of course, some Greek wine.
Potato-Cheese Croquettes
Yield: about 20
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (450 g) boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- ½ pound (225 g) Greek feta cheese, crumbled
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh mint
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- All-purpose flour, as needed
- Olive or other oil, for frying
Preparation:
In a pot, cover the potatoes with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer I the potatoes until fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain into a colander and set aside to cool completely.
Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash with a fork or handheld potato masher. Mix in the egg, feta, herbs, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Add flour if necessary to bind the mixture, kneading in 2 tablespoons at a time, until the mixture is solid enough to hold its shape.
Shape the croquettes into 1 ½ – inch (4 cm) oblong or round patties. Place on a plate, cover with parchment then foil, and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
Spread about 1 cup of flour into a plate.
In a heavy nonstick skillet, heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil over medium to high heat. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by tossing in a piece of bread. It should crisp up in about 10 seconds. When the oil is ready, start dredging the croquettes lightly in flour, shaking off any excess. Fry in batches in the hot oil, turning once with a slotted spoon, until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat until the entire mixture is used up.
Serve hot.
Source: Ikaria by Diane Kochilas [Rodale 2014]