Neapolitan potato croquettes

Let's find out how to prepare Neapolitan potato croquettes, delicious potato croquettes stuffed with mozzarella and fried.

Potato crocchè are a typical Neapolitan street food that can be enjoyed alone or as part of the famous cuoppo . Also known as panzarotti, they are essentially potato croquettes with a stringy heart of mozzarella . Like many of the delicacies of this area, they are served fried and piping hot.

Preparing Neapolitan crocchè is really simple but there are a couple of key steps that guarantee perfect success. The first concerns the choice of potatoes which must be floury, otherwise the croquettes will fall apart during cooking. The most suitable variety is the yellow-fleshed one. Secondly, the breading must be done to perfection to prevent the cheese from leaking out during cooking. Let's see how to proceed.

How to prepare the recipe for Neapolitan potato croquettes

1. First, boil the yellow potatoes in their skins in plenty of salted water. The cooking time varies depending on the size of the potatoes from 30 to 50 minutes.
2. Once cooked and while they are still hot, peel them and mash them with a potato masher to puree them, then transfer them to a bowl.
3. Season them with salt, pepper and chopped parsley, then add the parmesan, pecorino and eggs and mix everything well. If the mixture is too wet you can add some potato starch a little at a time.
4. With wet hands, form small balls about the size of an apricot and spread them on the palm of your hand.
5. Place a stick of mozzarella in the center that you have dabbed with kitchen paper and close to obtain the classic croquette shape.
6. Prepare the ingredients for the breading in three different dishes: in one the flour, in the other the egg whites (but whole eggs are also fine) and in the last the grated bread.
7. Dip the croquettes one by one first in the flour then in the eggs and finally in the bread and place them on a tray. Let them rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (ideally 3).
8. Heat 2 fingers of seed oil in a saucepan or pan and once hot (160°C) start frying little by little . They should be nice and golden.
9. Drain them and pass them on absorbent paper before serving them, piping hot.

Neapolitan croquettes differ from classic rotisserie potato croquettes due to the presence of cheese. They're both delicious but let's face it: it's impossible to resist the stringy heart!

storage

Like all fried foods, these should also be served freshly made . However, you can store them in the refrigerator, well covered in cling film, for 2-3 days and enjoy the leftovers reheated in the air fryer, oven or pan.

History and origin of Neapolitan potato croquettes

Could a Neapolitan recipe not hide a curious story? In fact, the origin of the crocché is shrouded in mystery. According to some, it derives from potato croquettes born in France in the 18th century. In this period the use of potatoes was spreading thanks to the work of Antoine Parmeniter (we have already known him with the potage recipe) who in 1789 published an entire collection of recipes which saw the tuber as the protagonist. For the times it was considered a sort of revolutionary act given that until then potatoes were considered poisonous.

According to others, however, the ancestors of Neapolitan croquettes are the croquestas de jambon typical of Spain and prepared with milk, ham and eggs.