These croquettes are simple to make and utterly delicious – golden and crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. It’s also a nice way to make a little bit of salmon and a few prawns go a long way. For the breadcrumbs, I use a food processor to make fresh crumbs out of ciabatta or sourdough – the end result is a thousand times better than using store bought breadcrumbs. I highly recommend you give it a try! You can freeze the croquettes once cooked then reheat them later in the oven for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Croquettes
500g mashing (such as agria) potatoes, peeled and chopped into even pieces
200g woodsmoked salmon, skin removed
¾ cup prawns, deveined, shells and tails removed
½ cup celery, finely chopped
½ cup spring onions, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp dried dill or 2 tsp fresh chopped dill
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups breadcrumbs (I prefer fresh homeade) or panko crumbs
Rice bran oil for frying
Salt and pepper
Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp chopped capers
1 tbsp chopped gherkin
1 tbsp very finely chopped parsley
3 tsp chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Method
Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Mash, or pass through a potato ricer (don’t use a food processor or it will go gluey). Set aside to cool. Flake the salmon into a large bowl with your fingers. Add the prawns, celery, spring onion, lemon juice and zest and dill, and mix gently to combine. Add the mashed potato and fold everything to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Using your hands, take about ¼ cup of the mixture, roll it into a small sausage shape, dust with flour, coat lightly in a layer of crumbs, then place on a large plate or platter. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
If you like, at this stage you can dip each croquette in the egg mixture again, then roll once more in breadcrumbs. This makes it extra crunchy.
Preheat the oven to 50c. Heat 2cm of rice bran oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Dip the end of a wooden spoon to test the heat – if bubbles form around it, then the oil is ready. Cook the croquettes in batches until golden brown, turning over with tongs to cook evenly. Place the cooked croquettes on a plate laid with paper towels and keep warm in the oven until all the croquettes are done. To make the tartare sauce, mix all ingredients together, taste and season with salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice if need be. Serve the croquettes with a light salad, a squeeze of lemon and the tartare sauce.
