I’m having the nicest little bronchitis right now. It keeps me from doing things I hate, like, you know, sleeping at night, or doing a good job at work. Or packing a million boxes for my impending move. I have a sneaking suspicion that my body triggered sickness so my mind wouldn’t have to deal with the 10-mile long to-do list that’s my life right now.
Due to the current circumstances, my diet has been consisting of instant soup, herbal tea, and, yes, carbs. Because it’s always good to sprinkle a bit of carbs on a (shall I say crappy? again?) situation to cheer me up. Pasta is my go-to move when I’m depressed or overwhelmed, but bread works fine too. Bread and cheese. Fried bread and cheese. And then, when you only have old bread that’s too dry to bite into, just make these croquettes. They are insanely quick to make, you can adapt to pretty much whatever is in your fridge, as long as you have an egg and a bit of milk. And old bread. It’s kind of a savory equivalent of how we do French toast in France. And since I hate wasting and I love recycling -old food, mostly-, this recipe was made for me. Makes for a super tasty appetizer, and no one will know it’s made from leftovers. You can always go crazy and have it for lunch with a salad. I wish I could be eating one right now.
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Parsley cheese croquettes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
- 1/2 baguette, old
- 1 cup grated cheese, like Gruyere (I used comté)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pinches ground coriander
- salt and pepper
Directions:
1. In a bowl, break the bread into small cubes, then add milk. Stir and let sit for a few minutes, until the bread has softened.
2. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, stir with a fork until well incorporated.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Shape patties with the batter, then add them to the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes on one side, until golden brown, then flip and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from pan, then repeat with the rest of the oil and batter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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My tips:
- You can use the same amount of any other bread (about 4 oz bread). If you have more old bread, just double the amounts of all the other ingredients.
- You can shape bigger patties if you are going to have them as a main dish with a salad.
- Reheat in the micro-wave if you have prepared them ahead of time.
Source: adapted from Croq’délices.
Looks delicious!