Crispy Potato and Beef Korokke

Korokke is a fried Japanese dish originally related to a French dish, croquette. Korokke is made by mixing minced meat, seafood, or vegetables with mashed potatoes, usually in the shape of a flat cake, dipping it in wheat flour, egg, and panko, then frying it until the surface is golden brown.

Korokke was introduced to Japan in the late 1800s as a potato filling in place of the traditional French creamy croquettes with béchamel sauce due to the lack of dairy products in Japan. These potato croquettes became one of the top 3 Western-influenced dishes popular in the early 1900s, along with beef steak and tonkatsu.

In Japan, korokke is known as both home-made food and street food.

What do you need to make korokke?

Red Potatoes

In the United States, the most common potatoes are Russet potatoes, red potatoes, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Russet potatoes are the ideal choice for making korokke because their starchy, fluffy, and light texture makes for the perfect croquette. In Japan, May Queen and Danshaku potatoes are used.

High quality minced meat

Typically, Japanese croquettes use minced meat, but can sometimes be made with pork.

Yellow onion

Yellow onions are best caramelized or sautéed until golden brown. The amount of flavor and sweetness you will get from cooking those yellow onions, as opposed to other types, is significantly higher. The key is to sauté the onion until the moisture has evaporated so that the nuggets do not contain extra moisture.

Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

The lighter, larger flakes tend to stay crispier longer than standard breadcrumbs because they don't absorb as much fat.

Let's now see the ingredients for 12 korokke

Ingredients:

o 600 g of starchy potatoes (if we don't find the ones described at the beginning, look for a variety of potato with a lot of starch)

o 15 ml of oil

o 200 g minced pork

o 1 small onion, finely diced

o salt pepper

For seasoning:

o 2 tablespoons soy sauce

o 15 ml of sake

o 15 ml of mirin

o ½ tablespoon sugar

Breading:

o 50 g of flour

o 1 beaten egg

o 500g Japanese panko breadcrumbs

o oil for frying

To garnish:

o shredded cabbage

o parsley leaves

o tonkatsu sauce

Procedure

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and add water until they are covered and bring to the boil.

2. Cook the potatoes until a thin knife easily passes through the center of the potatoes. Once cooked, drain and peel.

3. Using a potato masher or fork, mash them, leaving some small pieces of potato.

4. Heat 15ml oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion and sauté until golden. Add the pork, salt and pepper and cook.

5. Discard any oil that has accumulated in the pan and add the potatoes, seasonings and mix well.

6. Once cooked, form 12 equal balls, flatten them and form oval meatballs about 2 cm thick.

7. Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs each in a deep dish or bowl and pass the korokke first in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the panko.

8. Heat the oil in a high-sided pan over medium heat and fry the meatballs for 1-2 minutes until the panko is golden brown.

9. Serve immediately with chopped cabbage with a sprig of parsley leaves, accompanied by tonkatsu sauce.

Here are the succulent korokke ready to be devoured.

Ittadakimasu!