Tuna or fish croquettes - Pilar Hernández's Chilean Kitchen
Tuna or fish croquettes are a classic in Chile; at least I remember eating several kinds, especially with my grandmother. Meat and fish croquettes are made the same way. My grandmother made vegetable croquettes bound with a thick white sauce.
- 1 medium onion, diced into small cubes
- 500 grams of white fish: I used tilapia, flounder, whiting or hake, which work well, or well-drained canned tuna.
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- parsley, salt, pepper and merkén to taste
- 1 beaten egg and breadcrumbs for coating (I used Panko)
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash and dry the fish, and season with salt.
- Make a bed of onion in the pan, turn down the heat to medium and place the fish on top of the onion, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes until the fish is almost fully cooked.
- Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Flake the fish with a fork and add the flour. Season with finely chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and merkén if desired. Mix well and form a ball. If it falls apart, add more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. Shape the mixture into 10 croquettes (use about 1/4 cup of the mixture for each one).
- Let them dry on parchment paper for about 10 minutes.
- Coat in breadcrumbs, then in beaten egg, and then again in breadcrumbs. Repeat with all 10 croquettes.
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan, about 5 cm deep. I use a thermometer when it reaches 190°C or 380°F. Add 3-4 croquettes at a time, turning them occasionally with a slotted spoon so they fry evenly. They take about 2-3 minutes each, but this varies depending on the heat, how cold the croquettes are, etc. They're ready when they're evenly golden brown. I always cook one first and test it. If it's golden brown on the outside but raw in the center, lower the heat and the oil temperature so they cook more slowly.
- Remove the croquettes to a plate covered with absorbent paper towels.
- Serve hot or at room temperature. I especially like them with tomato salad.
I fried them outside in the yard; it was quite quick and the house didn't end up smelling like fried food.
This is one of those meals that helps get rid of leftovers that are forgotten in the refrigerator, so it's good to keep them in mind.
The end of these croquettes was very sad; I put them in a glass pudding dish that fell out of my hands and broke. I had to throw everything away, vacuum, clean... luckily I always taste things before photographing them to see if they are worth it.
Description
Traditional and delicious.
