Turkey Croquettes
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: 8 croquettes, or about 4 servings
 
Ingredients
Velouté Sauce:
  • 1½ tablespoons butter
  • 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ cups chicken stock, warmed
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Croquettes:
  • ½ tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2½ cups shredded, cooked turkey (I like to use a mix of dark and white meat for this)
  • ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves (or 1½ teaspoons fresh minced thyme)
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • Canola oil, for shallow frying
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • Salad greens, for serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. For the velouté sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour. Turn heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is just slightly darkened and fragrant, about 4 to 6 minutes. Slowly whisk in the warm stock and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 15 to 20 minutes; make sure to keep the sauce at a simmer and don’t let it come up to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. For the croquettes, heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat; add the onion and sauté until the onion starts to soften and change color, about 5 to 7 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the velouté sauce, onion, turkey, parsley, black pepper, thyme, nutmeg, and salt to taste.
  3. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the turkey mixture; refrigerate until very cold and firm, at least 2 hours.
  4. Put the flour and breadcrumbs into separate shallow bowls, and beat the eggs in a third shallow bowl. Divide the chilled turkey mixture into 8 equal parts (about ¼ to ⅓ cup each), and shape each into a patty. Roll each in flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs to coat.
  5. Add enough oil to generously cover the bottom of a large skillet; preheat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the croquettes until golden and crispy on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, then place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. (You might need to do this in 2 batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.)
  6. Serve the croquettes warm, alongside salad greens with lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Chicken Croquettes from Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken by Irma S. Rombauer (Scribner; 2000).

Shaping the Croquettes: The key to having croquettes remain intact when you fry them is to have the mixture very cold and firm, and to work quickly. You can shape the croquettes into any shapes you like, such as pyramids, cylinders, or ovals (patties); I shaped mine into patties so that they would fry up nicely on both sides without the need to deep fry them.

Serving Suggestion: Croquettes are very rich and heavy, so to cut through some of the richness, I serve them alongside salad greens with fresh lemon to squeeze over top.
Recipe by An Edible Mosaic™ at https://www.anediblemosaic.com/turkey-croquettes-2-very-sweet-awards/