Dutch Kroketten (Croquettes)

"Another way to prepare Dutch Meat Croquettes other than with fresh breadcrumbs or potato. Equally delicious! If you make these into little crumbed balls (called bitterballen), you can eat them, dipped in mustard, as an appetiser with pre-dinner drinks."
 
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photo by a food.com user photo by a food.com user
Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
18
Serves:
4-6
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ingredients

  • 600 g fresh veal (or use left-over chicken or turkey, 1lb 5oz) or 600 g beef (or use left-over chicken or turkey, 1lb 5oz)
  • salt and pepper
  • 75 g butter (2 1/2 oz)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 12 cup white wine
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 14 teaspoon ground nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon mace
  • 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
  • 34 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest (or a squeeze of lemon juice)
  • 2 cups water (or chicken stock)
  • 40 g all-purpose flour (1.5 oz)
  • cornstarch
  • 3 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
  • 4 cups fine breadcrumbs (beschuit) or 4 cups crushed dutch rusks (beschuit)
  • vegetable oil, to deep-fry
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directions

  • If using left-over chicken or turkey, chop it finely and set aside. Continue with the recipe from Step 3, using stock to make the sauce rather than water, and add the chicken or turkey to the sauce at Step 6.
  • If using veal or beef, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Place a large pan over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the veal or beef, wine, onion, clove, bay leaves, nutmeg or mace, parsley, thyme, lemon zest or juice and water. (Use chicken stock if you have chosen to use chicken or turkey.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. By this time the meat should be tender (or if using poultry, the stock will be bursting with flavor).
  • Strain the stock and reserve, along with the meat. Finely chop or cut the meat into into small pieces.
  • Melt the remaining butter in the pan, stir in the flour and keep stirring for a few minutes on low heat. Don't let it brown. Slowly and gradually add the stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add more flour, or corn starch to thicken the sauce if necessary. Cool slightly and add the 3 egg yolks and mix well (reserve the whites for later).
  • Add the veal, beef, chicken or turkey, mix well and season to taste. The mixture should be thick and stiff by this time.
  • Set the mixture aside to cool thoroughly. When ready, cut or separate the stiff, thick mixture into rolls about 1.5" thick and about 3" long.
  • Spread the crumbs on a clean, dry chopping board. Slightly beat the eggwhites in a deep plate until just incorporated. Roll the croquettes through the breadcrumbs, then through the egg whites and again through the crumbs. (Make sure that the second coating of crumbs is even and thick and no meat mix sticks out, otherwise the croquettes may burst when being deep fried).
  • Deep fry the croquettes in batches of four or five for about 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
  • Serve hot, with French fries or fresh chunks of bread. The best way to season is to slather with mustard, as the Dutch do!

Questions & Replies

  1. Hey I want to make this with left over wild turkey that I harvested. It hasn’t been cooked yet. What is the best method to cook the turkey carcass? Do I slow cook or boil? It’s my first attempt at this so any input is appreciated:)
     
  2. What is the history of croquettes
     
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Reviews

  1. Great recipe. I made the beef version and it tastes just like I remember as a kid in Holland. I used beef stock instead of water. Consistency was perfect and they didn’t split.
     
  2. A huge hit with everyone: I made a kilo for a dinner party and there were none left over. I made these using 2/3 ground veal and 1/3 spicy pork sausage meat to give it a mild bite. I didn't have lemon juice but the flavour was still terrific. Instead of regular flour I thickened the roux with potato flour. I didn't separate the eggs, just beat them and used them to dip the meatballs before rolling them in the crumbs. For those who don't like to deep fry, you can get away with shallow frying them because only the egg-crumb exterior has to cook: the inside just has to heat up and 'melt', so it's pretty fast. What's great about this recipe is how forgiving it is - you can substitute ingredients and try different variations. It's a bit labour intensive to make because the meat has to be chilled and rolled, but great for special occasions.
     
  3. Sorry, hate to say it, but but this is a rather poorly written recipe. First, it jumps from metric to imperial measurements like crazy, both in the ingredients and in the instructions. Example: ingredients call for 75 g of butter. Then the instructions in 1 place say to use 2 tbsp of butter and later on to use 'the remaining' butter. So you have to then go to a conversion website to determine 75 g minus 2 tbsp. Second, the instructions are quite unclear. The 1st paragraph says is you're using chicken or turkey to skip to "Step 3". Except: - the steps are not numbered; - you actually still follow the same directions except you don't add the chicken / turkey to the broth mixture (at least I *think* that's what the directions meant to say...). I also found the mixture far too soft to work with and I even added extra turkey to try and 'thicken' it. I also found the taste of cloves is too strong in the final mixture.
     
  4. I have a question. Why do some croquettes split when I deep fry them? I do the first roll in half flour and breadcrumbs. Should I roll them in flour only? Should I use egg white only or can I use whole egg. Some add water to egg. Why? Thanks for the answers. Betty OO
     
  5. hi i thought I try this recipe for a change . For me the final mixture was to sloppy to roll properly ,even after I added another 20 grams of flour. I suggest to put in some gelatine and leave it in the fridge for a hour before rolling. haven't tried to fry them yet fingers crossed.
     
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Tweaks

  1. Beef stock instead of plain water
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>I was raised in a family that loves to travel, meet people from other countries, and taste new foods. We are quite 'international' - my brother's wife is Indian, my sister's husband is Swiss and my son's wife is of Swedish and Croatian origin. My little dogs are German - miniature Dachshunds.</p> 8725212"
 
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