Recipe: Chicken Croquettes

When I cook chicken, I like to try to get more than one meal out of it. I'll usually make "White Cut Chicken" which requires poaching the whole chicken and you get a stock which you can use for other dishes. Roommate was tired of that dish so I had to figure out a new one.

Seems like American Baby Boomers are waxing nostalgic and I've noticed a lot of interest in Chicken Croquettes, a fried ball of cooked, chopped chicken, bound with a thick bechemel and served with chicken gravy. Sounds like a great way to use left over cooked chicken!

Here's a recipe that I came up with from several I found on the internet making a delicious stock from poaching the chicken that you can use to make the gravy to go with the croquettes.

Ingredients:

• One 3-4 pound whole chicken
• 3 stalks celery roughly chopped
• 2 carrots roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion quartered
• 2 dried bay leaves
• salt

Directions:

1. Put the chicken, celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves and into a large pot and add water just to cover the chicken.
2. Bring to a boil, salt to taste (I used about 2 tablespoons), then lower heat simmering for 1 hour.
3. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool so that you can remove the meat from the bones.
4. Put all the pulled meat into a food processor and pulse until the meat is finely chopped.
5. Put into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the bechemel.

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 stalked celery diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (or plain bread crumbs)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and then add the celery, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 2 minutes and then add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute more.
2. Add the flour and continue to stir for 4 minutes. This roux mixture will start to get thick.
3. Add the milk and use a whisk to mix everything together. Allow to simmer for about 8 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Assembling the croquettes:

1. Take the chopped chicken out of the refrigerator and stir in the cooled bechemel with a strong large spoon. You might find it easier to use your hands to do this.
2. Using a small ice cream scoop or your hands, form small balls of the chicken mixture and then roll in bread crumbs.
3. Set on a Silpat or waxed paper lined baking sheet. You should get about 35 balls out of the mixture.
4. Put baking sheet of croquettes back into the refrigerator for an hour to set up. 

 

Cooking the croquettes:

1. Take the croquettes out of the refrigerator and fry them in a deep fryer for about 1 minute or golden brown. I did this in small batches of 4-5 in my Fry Daddy.
2. Drain fried croquettes on a wire rack over a baking sheet. This will keep them more crisp than draining them on a paper towel.

Gravy

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken stock (from poaching the chicken)
• Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a small pan and then whisk in the flour. Cook this for 2 minutes then add the chicken stock and continue to whisk until thickened.
2. Add Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve over the croquettes.

Recipe: Chicken Francese

This Italian American dish also known as "Chicken Francaise" or "Chicken Français", is quite popular at wedding dinners and catered events here in NY. It's easy to make at home as it only requires ingredients that you should already have in your pantry. White wine which is traditionally used, can be substituted with more chicken stock if you don't happen to have wine in the house. I serve this with steamed broccoli and white rice as the sauce is so flavorful.

Pathmark supermarket has a family pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts selling for $1.79 per pound this week and whole broccoli for 99¢ each. What a way to wow the family for less than eating out!

There are many recipes out there for this dish which is simply chicken breast pounded thinly, coated in egg batter and fried. Sauce made of lemon juice, chicken stock, butter, and wine.
This particular recipe is from Gourmet's adaption from an Italian restaurant.
Instructional video from HowCast.




Ingredients

• 4 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced (garnish)

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet or with a rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
3. While oil is heating, stir together flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl or pie plate.
   
4. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow bowl or pie plate.
5. Dredge 2 pieces of chicken, 1 piece at a time, in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Then dip floured chicken into beaten eggs to coat, letting excess drip off, then fry, turning over once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Fry remaining chicken in same manner.
6. Pour off and discard oil, then wipe skillet clean and heat butter over low heat until foam subsides. Add wine, broth, and lemon juice and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 6 minutes. Stir in parsley and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and top with lemon slices.