here's how a Dutchman in Texas makes kroketten..
Finally - Kroketten - which don't fall apart....
Ingrediënts for ~ 15 to 20 kroketten or 30 to 50 bitterballen:
1.5 lbs of leftover cooked beef, chicken or pulled pork, shredded
roux:
1 onion, chopped very fine
1 - 2 Tblsp dry Parsley flakes
~ 1 Tblsp olive oil
60 gram (== ~ 1/2 stick) butter, melted & Warm
60 gram (== 2.15 oz. ) all purpose flour
1/2 liter (== 2cups) bouillon (optionally mix in 1 Tblsp of Ketjap Manis == sweet soy sauce)
1 envelope Clear Gelatine powder
pepper, salt, mace, nutmeg, to taste
to cover:
flour
2 eggs beaten with splash of water
breadcrumbs
Sautee the onion with the parsley in 1 Tblsp olive oil.
Make a roux:
Put the Gelatine powder in a small bowl and while you are stirring, slowly pour in the Bouillon until the Gelatine is dissolved.
Melt the butter on medium hot and before it changes color dump the flour in it and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a homogeneous mix.
Keep stirring on low heat and let the flour cook for a couple of minutes.
Now start adding the Bouillon mix - a little at a time - keep stirring so you do not get any lumps - when a have a well mixed, smooth roux and it bubbles a bit - add a little of the Bouillon again - and keep stirring until it bubbles a bit again - repeat until all bouillon is added.
Then add the sauteed onion mix and let the roux warm up until it slowly bubbles again - keep stirring for a couple of minutes so the roux does not set on the bottom of the pan..
Add the beef, chicken or pork and mix well with the roux and bring up to taste with the spices.
Let this mix cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until the roux has stiffened up.
Set up 3 plates:
- flour - beaten eggs - breadcrumbs
- put on some latex food prep gloves - I find it easier to handle the sticky stuff that way anyway..
take a large spoon of the roux mix and form it into ~ 4 x 1.25 inch rolls for kroketten or ~ 1.5 inch balls for bitterballen.
now take one at a time and roll them in the plate with flour and cover them well, then dip into the egg to cover everywhere and finally roll them in the plate with breadcrumbs.
Make sure they are well covered with breadcrumbs everywhere so they do not leak the roux into the hot oil when deep fried.
If you want, you can freeze them like that for later use in Ziplock bags, or keep them in the fridge if you plan to fry them within 2 days.
Heat up the oil in the deep fryer to ~ 350 F and fry 4-5 of the kroketten or 6-8
bitterballen at a time for about 4 minutes or until a dark gold brown...
Serve with a honey- or spicy - Mustard to dip in and some French fries or
they are also good when served on a white bun with some mustard.
