A hundred-years-ago croquettes were considered a great way to use up left-overs. The texture and taste of croquette was very different from the original food, and “the crisp crust make these little bits acceptable.”
Here are some tips in a 1925 cookbook for making croquettes:
The shape of a croquette adds to its attractiveness or takes away from it. It should never look like a meat cake. If they are meant to be balls, they should be perfectly shaped, or if they are meant to be cone shaped, they should be so carefully handled that they will hold up. It takes considerable practice to make really good looking croquettes.
To make good croquettes, the meat or fish must be minced quite fine and all the ingredients so well combined that the flavors are thoroughly blended. The mixture must be as moist as it is possible to handle without spoiling the shape of the croquette. The cork shaped ones are the easiest to handle. The mixture should be dipped in egg and breaded carefully and then chilled. They are easier to handle in the frying basket if taken out of the refrigerator and will hold together in the fat better.
The sweet croquette is often served as a dessert. After a luncheon of a simple salad, the sweet croquette is just heavy enough to round out the meal.
Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book (1925)
I looked through my old croquette posts to find a photo for this post, and realized that none of the croquettes in my pictures are perfectly shaped. Sigh . . .I have only made croquette recipes a few times for this blog because I think that they might not be very healthy since they generally are fried in fat, and because I worry that they will fall apart while cooking. Maybe I’ll have to try making a croquette recipe again sometime and follow the tips in the old cookbook.
In case you are interested, here are the croquette recipes that I have previously made:
Once apon a time…. A number of decades ago….. I worked in a Holland House Cafeteria. Among other things I did was make Croquettes. Fish Cakes….. Ham or Turkey Croquettes….. and a crowning point Liver and Onion!
The magic trick? Instant potatoes !!!! Not so handy 100 years ago but a neat trick today.
Now I am hungry for fried!!!
Wow, I never would have thought of using instant potatoes. Good to know.
cooling them is a neat trick.
I also thought that it was a clever trick. Next time I make croquettes, I’m going to try cooling them before cooking. I’ve never done that.
My mom loved making croquettes, and she always shaped them like a cone.
I usually make balls, but I should try making the cone shape. I like the way cone-shaped croquettes look.
I like your recipe for salmon croquettes. I should try that, but it’s too hot right now. For the record, I won’t care if the croquettes are crooked.
Fall and cooler weather will be here before we know it. I don’t really care if my croquettes are crooked – though I always want foods to look nice when I take a photo for this blog. 🙂
I was brought up on croquettes made from leftovers. I don’t think they’re unhealthy if you shallow-fry in a modest amount of fat. I still like them! And mine are mis-shaped too. As I used to tell my children ‘They’ll mend in your tummy’.
I also usually shallow-fry croquettes, though I always have mixed feelings about whether more fat would be better. I love the line, “They’ll mend in your tummy.” I’m going to have to remember that.
It never fails!
We love (Belgian) shrimps croquettes served with fried parsley, lemon and mayonnaise!
mmm. . . they sound yummy.
I remember a similar recipe as a child!
I’m glad this post brought back some (hopefully good) memories of eating croquettes when you were a child.
Yes, only good!