Turkey Croquettes

Croquettes are small, crumb-covered balls filled with meat, fish, or poultry bound with potatoes, rice, or sauce, before being - wait for it! - deep-fried. “YUCK!” sez you. “I’d never eat that!” Croquettes are a great way to use up leftover turkey. “Gimme the recipe!” sez you, again.

You can eat only so much turkey chowder, turkey pot pie, or turkey tetrazzini. So let’s try a few new turkey recipes to liven things up after the holiday crowd departs and it’s just you and the turkey, duking it out over the next several days. This recipe should come in handy as the next few weeks unfold. 

Turkey Croquettes:

2 tbsp. (30 mL) finely chopped onion

2 tbsp. (30 mL) finely chopped celery

3 tbsp. (45 mL) butter or margarine

¼ c. (60 mL) flour

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) salt

⅛ tsp. (0.6 mL) pepper

Dash of cayenne

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) savory

1 c. (250 mL) whole milk

3 c. (375 mL) finely minced cooked turkey

1 egg

1 tsp. (5 mL) water

¾ c. (180 mL) fine, dry bread crumbs

Sauté onion and celery in butter or margarine at medium heat until onion is translucent. Combine flour with seasonings. Blend into onion-celery mixture. Gradually add milk, stirring and cooking until thickened and smooth. Add turkey, combining well. Cool to room temperature before shaping into 12 croquettes.

Whisk together egg and water. Dip formed croquettes into crumbs, then egg mixture, then crumbs again. Chill 1 hr. Deep fry at 375 deg. F., a few at a time, 2-to-3 min. or until crisp and golden. Drain fat on paper towels. Cool 5 min. before serving.

Note:  For more recipes using leftover turkey, see One Click: Turkey.