Meat-filled Potato Croquettes Sephardic-style

Rollos de patata i karne

Our family’s go-to comfort food over Passover, besides the traditional matza bake, quajado and matza fritters,bimuelos de matza, are scrumptious meat-filled potato croquettes.

Rollos de patata i karne, is my mother’s recipe inspired by her Turkish roots she made at Pesah. These golden deep-fried crispy potato croquettes encase a flavor-packed meat, herb and pine nut filling. I like to make these tasty croquettes all year round substituting matza meal for breadcrumbs. Rollos are fabulous as a standby treat especially when my grandchildren are around. I simply fry the uncooked frozen croquettes in hot oil and serve with a tangy green salad and a fresh tomato sauce.

I hope you enjoy these at your Seder!

I wish you all a Happy Passover. Pesah alegre!

For the meat filling:

3 tbsp olive oil

¾ cup green onions, finely chopped

1lb 2oz (500g) ground beef

¼ cup hot chicken stock or water

2 eggs, hard-boiled, chopped

2 tbsp pine nuts

3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp dill, finely chopped

1 tbsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper, to taste

For the potato mixture:

2lb (1kg) potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 tbsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper, to taste

1-2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup matza meal (or breadcrumbs)

For coating: Set up a breading station with three wide bowls, each with the following ingredients arranged next to each other:

1 cup matza cake flour (or all-purpose flour)

2 eggs, lightly beaten with a tablespoon of olive oil

1½ cups matza meal (or fine breadcrumbs)

vegetable oil, for frying

1. Prepare the filling: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the green onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the meat and crumble with a fork until it colors. Pour in hot chicken stock and simmer until liquid has absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the eggs, pine nuts, parsley, dill and season with salt and pepper.

   Prepare the potato mixture: Place the potatoes in a large pan with enough cold water to just cover. Add one tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium/low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until fork tender.

   
   

2. Drain, return the pan to the heat for about 30 seconds to dry off any excess

   moisture. Take off the heat. Put through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Allow to cool a little

   
   

3. Once potatoes are at room temperature add the matza meal (or breadcrumbs) and mix in the beaten eggs a little at a time so that the mixture still remains firm. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

   
   

4. Shape croquettes: Scoop ¼ cup of the potato mixture. With dampened hands hold the scooped potato in the palm of your left hand. Carefully pat the potato into a disk about ½in (1.25cm) thick taking the shape of your palm. Add a heaped teaspoon of the meat filling in the center of the potato mixture and pinch the edges together to seal in the filling. Shape into a smooth log.

   
   

5. Place on a tray with lined baking paper. Continue shaping with the remaining rollos. The croquettes should be refrigerated to firm up until ready to coat and fry.

   
   

6. To coat: Dredge each croquette lightly in the flour to get a thin coating and shake off the excess flour. Dip into the egg and oil mixture, coating well and then roll the croquette into the matza meal or breadcrumbs,coating generously. Lay the breaded croquettes on a tray and refrigerate for one hour or up to one day (covered with plastic wrap) to firm up. Repeat to bread the rest of the croquettes.

   
   

7. To fry: Heat 2in (5cm) oil in a medium pan on high heat. Remove the croquettes from the refrigerator. Fry the croquettes, working in small batches, for about three minutes per batch, turning with a slotted spoon or skimmer until golden and crisp on all sides. Scoop out and drain on a paper towel-lined platter. Transfer to a warm oven. Serve hot.

Stella’s Hints:

• I like to use a 1¾in (4½cm) ice cream scoop to form evenly-sized potato balls.

• For Passover: substitute breadcrumbs with matza meal, and all-purpose flour with matza flour.

• Open-freeze crumbed uncooked croquettes in a layer until solid (about one hour). Then stack between layers of baking paper in an airtight container and freeze. When required fry the frozen croquettes in hot oil.

• I like to deep-fry the rollos in a chip fryer.