Saturday, April 2, 2011

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:





16 comments:

  1. Very pretty presentation... these must be delicous!

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  2. Yummy! I am still dying to know where you are in E. Europe! I hope you are having a blast.

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  3. Absolutely delicious. Peas and mint are so good together!

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  4. Oo! I don't like peas but I like squished peas in things like samosas and this!! (I have no idea why - they're still peas, right?) These are so delightful!

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  5. They look a bit like falafel... interesting.

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  6. Very interesting. I am definitely intrigued!

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  7. Looks good but what is a British cream cracker?

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  8. Yes, what is a British cream cracker and will any brand of cream cracker do? Except for the waiting time involved, I do love the sound of this recipe as I'm a sucker for both mushy peas and (ahem) fried food ;-). Hope the trip's going well!

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  9. Maybe they're like water biscuits? Don't know, but this is intriguing enough to play with to match with some nice spring lamb! Have fun and don't forget to visit when you can. Always enjoy comment love!

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  10. I am also patiently waiting for the definition of the British cream crackers. These look so fresh and original!

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  11. My husband and daughter always made fun of Nigella and her "mushy peas", but to me, it sounded great:) I love croquettes of any kind, and the little green ones can be a great side dish. Have fun! I hope the weather over there is treating you right!

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  12. Thanks for stopping by while I was gone! And to clear up the cream cracker mystery ... nothing fancy or revelatory, I'm afraid. It's simply a rather hard, rather bland cracker. No salt, no seasonings, and very, very dry. Usually eaten with a smear of butter and a bit of cheese. Perfect to absorb moisture and bind my little croquettes together! But yes, Sharlene - it is rather like a water biscuit. Basically, just use anything dry and crumbly.

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  13. Ooh, I always think of croquettes as being super fatty with no real nutritional value (all flavor value;-). This recipe sounds like it has a bit of both values-neat trick!

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  14. Just returned from London and had "mushy peas" several times. Some were quite ordinary but the one that I loved was full of mint. I believe that they were served with fish and chips. Can't wait to try your version. Fry the peas and steam the fish. Sounds great!

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  15. These look so tasty -- and you`re not obsessive compulsive...just organized (says the girl who just laser-labelled her travelling spice kit, even though the jars have glass lids and it`s easy to tell what is what.) Hope you had a good trip! Theresa

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