Hot potato croquettes filled with smoked cheese

Crocchè di patate

By: Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi
From: The Amalfi Coast
Makes: 22-25 croque
Photographer: Helen Cathcart

Pasqualina is the 80-year-old mother of the two owners of Il Pirata in Praiano. Every day she makes around 200 crocchè in this busy seafront restaurant. These are frequently served as part of an antipasto or as a snack with drinks. Instead of the bland frozen varieties I remember as a child, these croquettes are packed with flavour from the smoked cheese filling. They are rather moreish, so go easy or the snack becomes the meal.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
500g	floury potatoes such as maris piper
150g	smoked cheese, such as scamorza affumicata or smoked cheddar
50g	ham or cooked bacon, finely diced
50g	parmesan or grana padano, finely grated
25g	pecorino cheese, finely grated, (or more Parmesan/Grana Padano)
2 tablespoons	finely chopped parsley
2	free-range eggs, separated
	salt and freshly ground black pepper
	sunflower oil, for deep-frying
150g	breadcrumbs

Method

Boil the potatoes whole in their skins in plenty of salted water. This preserves the flavour and prevents the potatoes from becoming watery. Meanwhile, cut the scamorza into 3 x 1 cm rectangles (you will need about 25 pieces). Set aside.
To check if the potatoes are done, poke the largest with a skewer or sharp knife: they should be tender inside. When there is no resistance, remove from the heat and drain. Hold the potatoes with a tea towel and peel off the skins using a sharp knife. Mash, preferably using a potato ricer, as this keeps the mash light and fluffy. Now use a large spoon or your hands to mix in the ham or bacon, finely grated cheeses, parsley, egg yolks and season to taste.
Heat the oil so that it is ready for frying. Take a piece of mash the size of an egg and roll it into a ball. Put it into the palm of your hand and flatten. Place a rectangle of scamorza in the centre and fold the mash over to enclose it, making sure the cheese is completely covered. Repeat until all the mash is finished: you should have about 22-25 mini sausage-shaped croquettes.
Dip each crocchè into the egg white and then coat in the breadcrumbs. Fry in batches until golden brown and drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately, while the cheese is still soft inside.