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MEAT CROQUETTES
(Portuguese gastronomy: Croquetes de Carne)
Meat croquettes are eaten from the north to the south of Portugal, either as a main dish in an everyday-meal or as an appetizer or an entrée in a banquet or another formal occasion.
This is then a recipe often made during the Christmas and New Year season, too. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Bom apetite!
© Dulce Rodrigues
Croquetes de Carne
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Ingredients
. 500 gr cooked (preferably roasted) meat
. 70 gr raw Portuguese “chouriço”
. 2,5 dl milk
. 1 medium-sized onion (chopped)
. 1 table spoon of butter
. 1 1 egg yolk + 2 full eggs
. 1 table spoon of flour
. 1 little loaf of bread (about 70 gr)
. meat broth
. breadcrumbs
. olive oil
. parsley
. salt, pepper
Handy hint:
you may prepare the croquettes a few days in advance and freeze them.
When you need to serve them, you don’t need defreeze them; just take them directly from the freezer and deep fry. |
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Preparation
1 - Blend the cooked meat and the “chouriço” to a smooth paste. In a bowl, add the boiling milk to the loaf of bread,
cover the bowl, and leave to cool for a while. Then mix well to obtain a paste.
2 - In a saucepan heat the olive oil (it should just cover the bottom of the saucepan) and fry the onion until it gets transparent.
3 - Add the meat, soaked bread, butter, flour, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and a little meat broth, and mix well.
4 - Take the mixture to a low flame, stirring well, so that all the ingredients turn into a thick but smooth paste.
5 - Leave to cool and shape the croquettes into meat-balls or cylinders (as in the photo), dust with breadcrumbs,
dip in the beaten eggs, and then coat with breadcrumbs; deep fry them in hot olive (or frying) oil.
6 - Serve with green (or mixed) salad seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice. |
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