Mushroom Croquettes: crispy, easy and very delicious

These crispy croquettes are filled with the earthy tastes of mushroom and buckwheat.

They make a great side dish with meats, poultry, or fish, or they can form part of a vegetarian main course, or as party food with dips.

If you’ve never cooked with buckwheat before, it is a versatile and healthy grain with a slightly nutty taste and chewy texture. Mushrooms mix well with buckwheat, and the whole thing is coated in crispy breadcrumbs and sautéed.

INSTRUCTIONS

Transfer cooked, warm buckwheat to a food processor or blender and blend until ground. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

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Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add 2 Tbsp oil then the chopped onion and grated carrot.

Sauté for 5 minutes, or until softened.

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Add sliced mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes until soft.

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Transfer the mixture to food processor and pulse until everything is minced up, then add to the mixing bowl with the buckwheat.

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Add 1 egg, 1 Tbsp semolina or plain flour, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste, then stir well to combine.

With wet hands, form the mixture into flattened patties – roughly the size of an egg. If your mixture seems too dry to mould easily, add a little water, 1 tsp at a time until you can work the dough.

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Crack the other egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. In another bowl, add 3/4 cup bread crumbs. Dip the molded croquettes into beaten egg, making sure they are well-coated, then roll in bread crumbs until covered, and transfer to a board or plate.

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Once all the croquettes are breaded, heat a large, deep pan over medium heat and add 1/4″ oil. Once oil is hot (put a cube of bread in – if it sizzles and turns brown quickly, the oil is hot enough), put the croquettes in the pan and sauté for 3 min per side or until golden brown.

If you have a smaller skillet, cook in batches, adding oil as needed.