On tonight's menu is Korroke Potatoes, which are Japanese potato croquettes. This is one of Zuke's favorite meals that his mom used to make while growing up. The recipe is really easy, but kind of time-consuming, so make sure that you give yourself plenty of time for prep. You can link to the original recipe here, but I've typed up the recipe below with our own little changes that we've made over time.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lb potatoes
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1-2 tsp curry powder, to taste
- Salt & pepper
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups Panko or unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil (for deep frying)
DIRECTIONS
1. Boil the diced potatoes in salted water, until tender.
2 Meanwhile, crumble the ground beef into a heavy skillet and cook, stirring, until browning.3 Add the chopped onion to the beef, and saute until tender.4 Combine salt, pepper, and curry powder and add to the meat/onion mixture.5 Cook for a few minutes, then remove from heat.6 Drain cooked potatoes and mash until smooth.7 Combine the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes.8 Add a quarter of the beaten egg to the meat and potato mixture and blend together thoroughly.9 Divide the mashed combination into 16 equal portions.10 Form each portion into a small sausage shape.11 Dredge each portion in flour, then dip each into the remainder of the beaten egg.12 Coat each croquette with panko or unseasoned breadcrumbs.13 Arrange the breaded croquettes on a waxed paper-covered tray or cookie sheet.14 Refrigerate for at least 2 hours- this ensures a crunchier result when deep-fried.15 Heat peanut oil in a wok on high, or until just smoking.16 Deep-fry the croquettes a couple at time until lightly browned.17 Drain on paper towels and keep warm.18 Repeat with remaining croquettes until finished.
In Japanese tradition, these are usually served with Tonkatsu Sauce (or Bulldog Sauce), which you can either make at home or purchase at any oriental market. My kids and I prefer them with ketchup, so you have many options on how to serve them. Enjoy!
