Egg Croquettes
Submitted by mstone
Egg croquettes are crisp golden balls of chopped hard-cooked eggs and mushrooms bound in cream sauce, breaded and deep-fried. A retro brunch classic served with extra cream sauce on top.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
25 minCOOK
20 minREADY
45 minEgg croquettes are old-school brunch elegance: crisp, golden-fried balls hiding a creamy, savory center of chopped hard-cooked eggs, tender mushrooms, and rich béchamel. They’re the kind of dish that earns gasps at a buffet table, but the assembly is genuinely straightforward once you understand the rhythm.
The key move is making twice the béchamel you need, using half to bind the egg mixture and saving half to serve over the finished croquettes. The cold rest (a full hour in the fridge) is what makes shaping possible. Chilled, the egg mixture firms into something you can roll between your palms.
Pro Tips
- Chop the eggs and mushrooms finely, like coarse cornmeal. Larger pieces won’t bind together and your croquettes will fall apart in the oil.
- Keep the béchamel on very low heat and stir constantly. Walking away for even a minute means scorched milk solids on the bottom and a permanently off flavor.
- Don’t skip the full hour of chilling. Warm filling will smear during shaping and crack open in the hot oil, dumping the filling out.
- Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Too cool and the breading absorbs grease; too hot and the outside burns before the inside heats through.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Chop the eggs and mushrooms until they are the consistency of coarse corn meal.
Add the salt and pepper and mix well.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in the flour.
When the mixture is smooth and free of lumps, add the milk and continue to cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and creamy.
Add ½ cup of the thick cream sauce to the chopped eggs and mushrooms.
Reserve the rest of the cream sauce until later.
Mix the eggs, mushrooms and cream sauce together well and spread over the bottom of a flat pan.
Place in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 1 hour to become firm and solid.
When chilled and firm, form the mixture into balls about the size of an egg.
Beat the additional raw egg until frothy, add the additional milk; mix well.
Dip each ball into the egg-milk mixture and then roll in the bread or cracker crumbs until completely covered.
Place the croquettes in the hot oil and fry until they are a golden brown.
Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain.
Reheat the remainder of the cream sauce over slowly boiling water in a double boiler.
Serve the croquettes with a portion of the hot cream sauce.
Sprinkle with the minced parsley for added flavor and color.
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