I didn't know what a croquette was but I was intrigued by the name along with the image of them on the back of an old cook booklet I had ( Cooking with Condensed Soups...Again!)
However, it included no recipe at all, only a suggestion of using condensed soups to pour over croquettes. They gave me the impression that everyone should already know the 'what and how' of croquettes. Well I needed to know, as to not embarrass myself in front of the other housewife types. I pulled a few other cook books out and discovered that these croquettes for one are deep fried.... Ahgrr! I am very much into cooking/baking but deep frying anything is where I put my foot down. It's messy, unhealthy and above all SMELLY! I don't mind if someone else wants to do the frying, as long as I am not around to where my clothes get that smell in them. (I do love french fries so I let Wendy's do that for me!) And no, I have never worked in fast food or a restaurant of any kind, so that's not where this strong opinion comes from. Anyway, so I was going to nix making them until I saw a recipe on the same page for 'cheese pineapple fritters'. Cheese PINEAPPLE fritters?! I love pineapple...I have always liked the word 'fritter' (it's just goofy sounding) and they also have to be deep fried..Okay, Fine! You got me, I'll try it out. I figured I would just make a whole artery clogging deep fried dinner..Hell, let's deep fry the salad too!
RICE CROQUETTES
2 cups cooked rice, 2 well beaten egg yolks, 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 3 tbsp grated cheese, 1/2 cup cream of mushroom or chicken soup, 2 slightly beaten egg whites, 1 cup dry bread crumbs.
Combine rice , egg yolks, seasonings, cheese, and soup. Spread thin on a plate;Chill thoroughly. Shape in croquettes (by this they mean cone shaped I guessed); dip into egg whites, then bread crumbs. Fry in deep hot fat (375 degrees) until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with leftover heated cream soup drizzled over tops.
CHEESE PINEAPPLE FRITTERS
1 cup sifted flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup drained canned crushed pineapple, 1 egg separated
Sift flour and baking powder together. Combine mashed cottage cheese, pineapple and slightly beaten egg yolk and mix well. Stir into dry ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten. Fold in stiffly beaten egg white and drop by teaspoons into hot deep fat (360 degrees). Fry until brown. I decide on my own to sprinkle with powdered sugar.
This is the cookbooklet (cir. 1954) I got the fritter recipe out of. It had a croquette one too but it called for too many things I didn't have. I got the above croquette recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (cir. 1951)
The croquettes were actually pretty good. Even pumkinbutt liked them. The fritters were only okay. Which was disappointing.
So now my poor kitchen reeks of grease ....Better bake a cake to freshen it up!
12 comments:
I love that fried fritters and milk/cream based recipes were considered "healthful" circa 1954. As always, a perfect job recreating an old recipe and capturing the moment!
yeah real healthy, well I'd try it once!!!
i wouldnt want to wear my aprons when I was doing it !!
You are so fabulously house-wifey! Fritters/croquettes are sort of a once a year even at our house. It takes that long to forget about the coating of grease on the roof of your mouth. I love the garnish on your croquette plate- are those celery leaves?
Lori
Jen~ yeah, 'healthful' ha ha!
Lori~ why yes! those are celery leaves..I think they make for a lovely garnish. That part would have been thrown out anyway so why not use it for something!
Those are the strangest looking croquettes I've ever seen!!! LOL
They're big in Cuban culture and my mom has made them all our life and they're small like fingers. That's also how they sell them at restaurants and bakeries. Then again, we never fill them with rice either- ham, chicken, or cheese are the usual fillings.
I have to say though, I'm amused!! Yay culture shock. ;)
These look fabulous.
When I was a kid, my great aunt would make croquettes and they were my favorite food. Hers looked just like yours.
here in England you can buy frozen croquettes that you heat up in the oven. Sort of cylinder-shaped hash browns and frankly horrible.
Pineapple fritters, however, mmmm... the best chip shops here do them for you (admittedly without cream cheese but with quite a dough-y batter which might give a similar texture). Great salted - that lovely salty sweet taste...
Croquettes are also big in Spain although nobody ever tells you what's in them.
I also hate the smell of deep frying, it's sort of like a fishy smell. But sometimes you just gotta...
Love the photo.
First time to your blog and it's great! I had a pineapple casserole creation with crackers and cheese at a Halloween party. It may be the same idea as the fritters. It actually wsn't too bad. You have to use really buttery crackers.
You look like Drew Barrymore back when she brushed her hair and wore bras in that picture.
Please move to my neighborhood. We could have a friendly housewifely competition every day!
I have got to say I love your glasses!
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