September 14, 2014

Sweet Corn Croquettes

Appetizers, Corn, Party Food, Summer 4 Comments

We took a spectacular trip to Oregon the first couple weeks of July. We did the normal vacation things: saw beautiful sites, had outdoor adventures, met new people, and engorged ourselves on all the best food the state had to offer. One delicious meal after another, Oregon pulled out all the stops and left our bellies almost constantly full. On our last night in Portland, we ended up at Montage, a cozy little southern restaurant famous for its mac and cheese and the elaborate aluminum foil animals that enclosed their leftovers.

Their mac and cheese was really good. And the foil animals were amusing. But it was the appetizer that stuck with me: deep-fried gems of creamy corn that we ordered on a whim. I knew immediately I had to re-create them.

To be honest, I was a little unclear about what a croquette actually was. My experience at Montage, and a previous one at a restaurant in Durham, seemed to suggest that croquettes were deep-fried balls of, well, whatever one might want. Searches for recipes for “corn croquettes” led to surprisingly few results, but I eventually found a recipe with photos that somewhat resembled the ones we’d had in Oregon.

The filling for the croquettes is fairly simple: onion, fresh sweet corn (you can use canned, but straight from the cob is better) some milk and chicken stock, and some flour, butter and egg to stiffen up the liquids into creamy goodness.

The filling itself comes together fairly easily. The butter and onions sauté for a few minutes before flour is added to form a chunky roux. The milk and chicken stock will thicken up, and finally the corn and a few cranks of black pepper are added to the pan.

The egg is added to provide just a little bit more structure, and to thicken even further, I rested the filling in the fridge for a while. The trick with this recipe is to create a filling that is creamy and liquidy, but solid enough that you can roll it in panko crumbs and deep fry it. I was skeptical that such a feat was possible. The mixture formed a ball, mostly, but barely held itself together while I put the rest together. I was nervous that I would end up with a hot, oily, creamy disaster once they went in the fryer.

But lo and behold, success! The croquettes held together perfectly, and not a single one of them burst in the oil. Each one needed only a few seconds in the oil before it emerged crisp, golden-brown, and ready to be eaten.

And eat them you should. Brad and I scarfed down an entire batch in a matter of minutes. They’re great when they’re really hot, just a few minutes out of the oil, but they also hold their own as they cool down. I’ll wager they’d make a great splash at a party, too — aside from the messy fingers you’ll get making them. Totally worth it.

Sweet Corn Croquettes
Adapted from Cookpad

2 ears of fresh sweet corn
1/2 medium onion
2 T unsalted butter
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 c milk
1/2 c chicken stock
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 egg
2 c panko crumbs
3 c vegetable oil

Shuck the corn and remove the silks. Cut the kernels off the cobs as close to the cobs as possible. Discard the cobs and set the corn aside. Finely dice the onion.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onions have softened. Add the flour and stir well. The mixture will be quite clumpy. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Slowly add the milk and chicken stock, whisking constantly until the flour clumps have smoothed out and the only texture that remains is from the onions. Add the corn and black pepper and stir. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has thickened almost to a paste: it should be thick enough that it very slowly slides back when wiped away from the pan with a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg, stirring well. Place in the refrigerator on a hot pad for 30-45 minutes to allow the mixture to cool.

Pour the panko crumbs in a small bowl and the oil into a medium pot (the oil should be at least 1.5 inches thick) fixed with a candy/deep fry thermometer. Carefully form balls (they may be somewhat runny) of the corn mixture and coat them completely with panko crumbs. When you are about half-done forming the croquettes, heat the pan containing the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches about 375°F.

Once all croquettes are formed, gently place 3-4 croquettes at a time in the oil, cooking for 10-30 seconds or until panko is a dark golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Scarf up as soon as possible.