Potato croquettes

by | Oct 25, 2024 | Vegetable dishes

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Potato croquettes are a beloved dish with a long and varied history, popular across many cultures, including Hungary. In Hungary, potato croquettes often appear as a tasty side dish accompanying hearty meals like roasts or stews. They feature crispy golden exteriors with soft, flavorful mashed potato centers, making them a comfort food classic.

The history of potato croquettes can be traced back to the broader family of croquettes, which originated in France. The word croquette itself comes from the French verb croquer, meaning “to crunch.” The first recorded croquette recipe appeared in 1691 during the reign of King Louis XIV, prepared by his chef. The dish gained more formal recognition in the late 1800s, when French chef Auguste Escoffier, known as the father of classical French cuisine, documented a more structured recipe for croquettes.

Although croquettes initially featured various fillings such as meat or béchamel, potato croquettes became popular as a more accessible and versatile variant. The spread of croquettes across Europe led to regional adaptations, including the potato-filled variety. In Belgium and the Netherlands, for example, they are a common side dish or street food, while in Spain, croquettes might include ingredients like ham or cheese.

Potato croquettes likely grew in popularity due to their simplicity, affordability, and comforting texture, becoming a staple side dish in countries like Hungary, where they often accompany rich meat dishes.

Potato croquettes
Potato croquettes – photo: zserbo.com

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0 Comments

Hungarian cottage cheese

This is what Hungarian túró looks like

You often ask me what kind of cottage cheese (or curd cheese or farmer's cheese - call it what you want) I use in the recipes. In Hungary the store-bought cottage cheese is dry and crumbly as you can see in the picture. So if a recipe calls for túró, I mean this type. If you can't obtain túró, you can try to make your own from whole milk. Click on the link below.

Metric system vs cup

In Hungary metric units are in use, all the recipes on this website are based on this system, so a kitchen scale is necessary. Since I’m not familiar with cup as a measurement unit, I convert grams to cups by using an online converter. The values in brackets, therefore, are only approximate volumes, so, please, double-check them before you start cooking.