MY ACCOUNT

August 1

Hi mum,
 

So I did find a salmon croquette recipe in the box, but I’m not sure it was yours. It tasted… stale. I don’t even know if that’s the right word. I used all fresh ingredients, of course. But it just did NOT taste good. It seemed strange and outdated and something just tasted very out of place in it. Even the texture was bizarre.

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I don’t know why this recipe was in the box, or if you ever used it, but I don’t think this is the salmon croquette recipe I remember from the truck. I also didn’t know, though, if I was judging it based on my memory of what we used to make, so I asked Nora to invite Lou over so she could try them too. Maybe it was close to the ones she had had.

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But Lou took a bite and politely swallowed before saying she would not want to share that dish with anyone. “There’s something just off about it,” she concluded.

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“It’s funky,” Nora agreed. “And not at all in a good way.”

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Lou suggested we start with the chicken croquette recipe she had, and go forward from there. She was just about out the door to grab her recipe when Jenna burst in, saw the plate of food and recipe sheets on the counter, and indignantly cried out about the gall that we would dare taste-test without her.

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“Is it because I rate so low? Because I’m only teasing!” Jenna explained huffily.

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Lou straightened the purse on her shoulder and winked solemnly at Nora and me from where she stood behind Jenna.

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“Oh, Beatrix is probably just a little sensitive. Cooking is a very personal matter, you know. Criticism can cut deep,” Lou told Jenna sternly.

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“But you’re right, we shouldn’t have taste-tested without you,” Nora added, equally straight-faced as she held out the plate of croquettes to Jenna.

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“You’re right,” Jenna said to Lou. “I should be kinder. Thank you,” she added to Nora as she plucked a croquette from the plate.

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We all watched with bated breath as Jenna took a bite and attempted to keep her face from grimacing as she turned to me and said, mouth still full, “These are really quite…” Jenna struggled to complete the compliment. “Nope. I can’t do it,” she sputtered as she reached for a napkin. “Beatrix, these are terrible. A solid 1 out of 5. No, make that a zero,” she corrected as she spat out the morsel and smacked her lips in distaste.

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Lou, Nora, and I all looked at each other, the laughter caught in our chest threatening to burst forth as we attempted to contain ourselves. Lou wiggled her eyebrows at Nora and me, as Jenna peered at us and suspiciously asked, “What?”

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“Well,” Lou answered as she opened the door, “you’ll just have to help us correct it. Since you’re the food critic here.” She cackled as she left.

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I think I like her.

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Jenna did end up helping – by keeping herself busy making tea and cleaning up after us as we cooked through Lou’s croquette recipe. Which, admittedly, was much better than her attempting to help with the actual cooking.

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It was really nice to have Lou in the kitchen. She’s got quite a lot of cooking experience herself, and she was teaching Nora different techniques when Nora expressed an interest. I hadn’t even seen that side of Nora before, and it was touching to watch them together.

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I wish Nora had gotten to experience grandparents. I wish I had. I’m sure even you wish you had. Strange, that we’ve all three of us had that experience – or rather, lack of experience.

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Lou’s recipe was a good base to work with, but we did end up making some adjustments even with the chicken version. We’re still trying to amp up the salmon one, but for now, here’s the winning chicken croquette recipe.

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Love,

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Beatrix

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Chicken Croquettes

 

3 cooked chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

2/3 cup butter

2-3 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan)

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 whole egg, beaten

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder (or black pepper, if not using citric acid)

1/2 tsp citric acid (optional)

Avocado oil

 

1. Shred or finely chop the chicken.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir in 2 tbsp of the flour. When mixture begins to froth, add the cold milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk until sauce thickens.

3. Remove sauce from heat and stir in egg yolks and grated cheese.

4. Transfer to a bowl and mix in chicken, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1/2 tsp chili powder. Cool completely in fridge.

5. Mix breadcrumbs with salt, chili powder, and citric acid.

6. Preheat oven to 450 F, and line baking sheet with parchment paper. (Preheat just before step 7.)

7. Once chicken mix is cool, shape into small cylindrical croquettes. Roll each croquette in remaining flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumb mix, making sure the croquette is well coated. Place on baking sheet and repeat.

8. Spray or lightly drizzle croquettes with avocado oil, then bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway.