Minted Mushy Pea Croquettes

 

In a continuing testament to the apparently boundless limits of my obsessive-compulsive disorder, this is the second of three posts  that I've set to go up while I'm still on vacation. Thanks for stopping by!

In my last post, I shared a fish and chips makeover with salmon poached in Belgian framboise lambic, buttermilk celeriac puree, and these delectable minted pea croquettes. Remember?

I would love to give you the link to that post, but since I'm scheduling posts in advance and, as I write this, none of them have gone up yet, I don't have the link ... thanks to the "genius" of Blogger. Drat!

Anyway. You don't need to make a whole involved meal to enjoy these croquettes - they would be fabulous on their own as a snack.

Minted Mushy Pea Croquettes

1 10 oz package frozen peas, thawed

2 tbsp butter

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

handful chopped fresh chopped mint

salt and pepper

1 crushed British cream cracker

For the thick bechamel

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp butter

1/2cup milk

For the crust:

1/2 cup flour

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup crushed British cream crackers, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the onions until soft. Add the garlic and peas, and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher and add the fresh mint - cook for just a moment more. Stir in the crushed cracker. Meanwhile, for the bechamel, melt the butter over medium high heat and whisk in the flour. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook until the roux turns a light blonde color. Add the milk, whisking thoroughly to incorporate. You want the sauce to be very thick. Stir just enough bechamel into the peas to create a thick paste.  Refrigerate for one hour. Next, form the pea mixture into one-inch balls. Coat with first the flour, then the egg, then the crackers. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat the oil to  325 degrees and deep fry the balls (ahem) until golden brown. Serve with a garlic yogurt dipping sauce. The crisp exterior with the sweet mushy pea interior makes this my new favorite fried food: