Recipe: Chicken Croquettes with Mushroom Sauce (using cooked chicken)

Chicken Croquettes with Mushroom Sauce

"These croquettes are a luncheon favorite of Mrs. Lois Watkins. They can be made with leftover turkey or pork roast as well as with chicken. They are unusually light despite the quantity of meat in them."

4 cups finely ground cooked chicken*
1 cup finely minced celery
1 tablespoon finely grated onion
1 teaspoon sage
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
1 cup cracker meal
vegetable oil or shortening (for deep-frying)
mushroom sauce for croquettes (for serving, recipe follows)

TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN MIXTURE:
Mix the chicken and celery in a large bowl and reserve.

Saute onion and sage in the butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat 3 to 4 minutes, just until onion is golden.

Blend in flour. Add milk and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Mix in salt and pepper and let sauce mellow over low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until no raw floury taste remains. Combine the sauce with chicken mixture, then chill several hours, until firm enough to shape.

TO SHAPE THE CROQUETTES:
Using your hands, shape the chicken mixture into small "logs" about 3-inches long and 1 1/2-inches wide. Dip logs into the beaten egg and milk, then roll in cracker meal to coat evenly. Arrange croquettes on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet and set uncovered in the refrigerator; chill for about 3 hours so the coating will stick.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Pour vegetable oil into a deep-fat fryer to a depth of about 2-inches (or melt enough vegetable shortening in the fryer to equal a depth of 2-inches). Insert a deep-fat thermometer and heat fat to 365 degrees F.

Fry the croquettes, about 4 at a time, turning as needed so that they are a nice golden brown all over. Try to keep the temperature of the deep fat as nearly at 365 degrees as possible by raising or lowering the burner heat (if the fat is too cool, the croquettes will become greasy; if it is too hot, they will brown outside before they have a chance to heat through to the centers). Drain the browned croquettes on paper toweling. When all have been fried, set uncovered in a very slow oven (250 degrees F) for about 20 minutes.

Serve with the Mushroom Sauce.

*For this amount you will need about a 3 1/2 to 4 pound roasting chicken, simmered until tender, cooled, skinned and boned, and put through a meat grinder fitted with a medium-fine blade.

MUSHROOM SAUCE FOR CROQUETTES
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp finely grated onion
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms cleaned, sliced thin
1 pinch ground nutmeg
4 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1 pinch black pepper

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, add onion, mushrooms, and nutmeg and stir-fry about 5 minutes or until mushrooms release their juices.

Blend in flour. Add milk and cream and heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and smooth. Reduce heat to low and let sauce mellow 3 to 5 minutes or until no raw floury taste remains. Season with salt and pepper and serve as a topping for Chicken Croquettes with Mushroom Sauce.

Makes 6 servings
Source: The Grass Roots Cookbook by Jean Anderson