# Need TNT sophisticated croquette recipes!



## Chopstix (Jul 22, 2007)

I want to serve gourmet croquettes (using bechamel).  

I have a ham & mushroom croquette recipe that's nice, but kinda predictable and ho-hum.  Perhaps I'm looking for more exotic and sophisticated ingredient combinations that would make one's eyes pop out (if that's at all possible!)

Any Tried and Tested recipes/ideas?  TIA!


----------



## *amy* (Jul 22, 2007)

Yum. I haven't had croquettes in eons. My last croquette was at Howard Johnson's. Are they still around? I think salmon are delish. (The strawberry sounds interesting.) Here's a bunch.

Croquettes


----------



## ironchef (Jul 22, 2007)

You could do a spin off of dim sum and use shrimp, water chestnuts, scallions, ginger, garlic, and shiitake mushrooms.

Serve it with a soy-hot mustard foam. Okay maybe not. Hmmm actually...LOL I just gave myself an idea to try at work!


----------



## auntdot (Jul 22, 2007)

I am going the other direction from IC, because that is what I know best.

Those suggestions are great and would make a sublime product I am sure.

I would go with Spam, yep Spam.

A Spam croquet would work I think.  You might wish to cut the Spam with a bit of chicken. Add shrooms or chestnuts or whatever ad lib,  As for herbs  I think coriander, just a tad, would work. And whatever else you might prefer.

And I would serve them with cans of Spam on the table.

It is a dish I would would have fun with.

Have a great party.


----------



## Constance (Jul 22, 2007)

My grandmother used to make wonderful chicken croquettes shaped like little cones. Sadly, I don't have her recipe. I just remember that it had finely diced celery and chopped pimentoes in it.


----------



## Constance (Jul 22, 2007)

I was just doing a search on croquettes and found this recipe:

Scallop Croquettes Recipe at Epicurious.com

It looks quite elegant to me!


----------



## Chopstix (Jul 22, 2007)

Thanks for all the ideas folks!  I was looking for an unusual croquette recipe that's been tried and tested.  Ironchef's suggestion of dimsum set me off thinking about recreating some of my favorite food in croquette form, such as:

Taro puff dimsum without the taro - using bechamel of shrimp, pork, chicken liver.

or 

California sushi Roll without the rice - using bechamel with chopped Kani, julienned nori seaweed, with an inserted filling of avocado or mango inside, with a sweet mayo dip.  

or

Golden krathong (Thai appetizer) - using bechamel with minced shrimp, chicken, corn kernels, minced cilantro.

or

Philly Cheese Steak - using bechamel with chopped beef tenderloin, caramelized onions, mushrooms, with a garlic cream cheese dip.

The list can go on and on!  I got quite excited just thinking of the possibilities! 

Now, the hard part is creating and testing the recipes...!


----------



## college_cook (Jul 22, 2007)

If you're looking for flavors that will wow guests, you might want to check out some classical dishes for inspiration.  Morels, asparagus, and truffles are a pretty classic combination, if I'm not mistaken, and vegetarian friendly.  I don't know exactly what you would do to assemble it, but it might be kind of cool to make a farce from morel mushrooms, and use asparagus tips as a sort of interior garnish, almost like a mini terrine.  Perhaps then you could add some white truffle oil to your bechamel.

Duck could be another fun one to do, maybe with some red onion marmalade.  I think maybe doing tuna batons with some soy glaze drizzled over them could be very tasty; cooked till rare in the center.


----------



## velochic (Jul 22, 2007)

I have a TNT chicken croquette recipe.  My family love this, although, it's not particularly sophisticated:

1 c. bechamel
2 c. shredded, cooked chicken (I roast in the oven with herbs de provence)
1/4 c. grated onion
1/4 c. sundried tomatoes, minced
salt and pepper to taste
egg wash and breadcrumbs for breading

Prepare bechamel, add chicken, onion, tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Chill for 2 hours.  Form into patties.  Bread.  Return to fridge or sautee.


----------



## Constance (Jul 22, 2007)

I'm saving that one...it looks good. I have some oven-dried cherry tomato halves in the freezer that need to be used.

Thanks, Velochic!


----------



## obiwan9962 (Jul 22, 2007)

crabmeat, curry, and green onions is my fave


----------



## ironchef (Jul 23, 2007)

This isn't TNT by me, but it's upscale which is what you were looking for:

Miami Rising Stars: Edgar Leal and Mariana Montero of Cacao - Miami, FL on StarChefs

There's not a lot of recipes for high-end croquettes out there. Most that I've found feature a relatively simple croquette paired with a high-end protein and sauce.


----------



## *amy* (Jul 24, 2007)

I was looking through my unfiled recipes & remembered this one - I want to get around to SOON. It is not T&T, but it's a snap to make - check out the video. It seems to me, more of a crab cake, than a croquette... but, I threw it in anyway. (There are so many goodies there, it's hard not to get sidetracked.)

croquettes

CS, re putting your creations together, reading through most of the recipes in the earlier croquette link I shared; the method looks very similar. Prepare and mince the filling, prepare the sauce, let cool, form into croquettes/logs whatever, dip in egg & crumbs and fry (or bake). Hope that helps.  Let us know what you come up with. 

(IC, check out the foam t-shirt lol)


----------



## ironchef (Jul 24, 2007)

*amy* said:
			
		

> (IC, check out the foam t-shirt lol)


 
LOL, you know, I may just buy that shirt and wear it to work for the **** of it. My nickname at work is actually Marcel  . 

I'll tell you what, I'll stop putting foam on food when people stop ordering it. People are curious about it. Everytime I run a special that has foam on it, it sells pretty well. I did a seared pistacio crusted wild king salmon with a horseradish butter and beet-blood orange foam that sold really well this weekend.


----------



## *amy* (Jul 24, 2007)

ironchef said:
			
		

> LOL, you know, I may just buy that shirt and wear it to work for the **** of it. My nickname at work is actually Marcel  .
> 
> I'll tell you what, I'll stop putting foam on food when people stop ordering it. People are curious about it. Everytime I run a special that has foam on it, it sells pretty well. I did a seared pistacio crusted wild king salmon with a horseradish butter and beet-blood orange foam that sold really well this weekend.


 
Marcel, dontcha know I'm just razzin' ya.  If it wasn't good, there probably wouldn't be a t-shirt for it.  Wouldn't you love to see the look on everyone's faces  

BTW, I'll have a piece of that salmon!!!


----------



## ironchef (Jul 24, 2007)

*amy* said:
			
		

> Marcel, dontcha know I'm just razzin' ya.  If it wasn't good, there probably wouldn't be a t-shirt for it. Wouldn't you love to see the look on everyone's faces
> 
> BTW, I'll have a piece of that salmon!!!


 
Stupid me, I forgot to bring my camera but this is what the beet foam looked like. The vibrant color was really beautiful along with the horseradish sauce, salmon, sauteed rocket, and parsnip puree which came with the dish.





Anyway, sorry to hijack your thread for a bit Chopstix.


----------



## *amy* (Jul 24, 2007)

ironchef said:
			
		

> Stupid me, I forgot to bring my camera but this is what the beet foam looked like. The vibrant color was really beautiful along with the horseradish sauce, salmon, sauteed rocket, and parsnip puree which came with the dish.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyway, sorry to hijack your thread for a bit Chopstix.


 
Ooooo! Niiiice! Can I have three? lol

Sorry chopstix.  Back to the regularly sceduled program.


----------



## Chopstix (Jul 24, 2007)

Thanks IC and Amy for the ideas.  I have plenty to work with now...!  IC is right, I think.  The high-end ingredient and the dip are what can raise the level of the croquette.  I'll keep that in mind.

Pls feel free to chirp in on anything anytime!  IC, I love foam.  Never made it myself though.  And Amy, those T-shirts are cool!


----------

