Oyster and Potato Croquette with Sauce Choron
Ingredients:
For the Croquettes
- 4 Idaho potatoes (boiled in salted water, in their skins, until tender about 16-18 minutes. Drained)
- 2 egg yolks + 4 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 16 oysters, shucked and cleaned of dirt and grit, juice reserved
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
- Sea salt and fresh cracked white pepper to taste
- Enough canola oil to deep fry and a high sided heavy bottom sauce pot candy thermometer
For the Sauce Choron
- 2 shallots, minced
- 3 sprigs tarragon, minced
- 4 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
- 2 tomatoes, concasse - peeled and seeded, small diced
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 3 egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sea salt and a dash of cayenne pepper to taste
- 9 oz cold butter, cut into small pieces
Directions:
For the Croquettes
- Peel the potatoes when they are cool enough to handle, but still warm. Put them through a ricer or food mill fitted with a medium-fine die.
- Mix the potatoes with the egg yolks, the reserved oyster juice, some salt and pepper, then bind the mixture with the flour.
- Turn the potato mixture on to a lightly floured work surface and pat a flat croquette, about 1" thick and 3"wide and 2" wide. Season 2 of the oysters lightly with salt and pepper, and place in the middle of the croquette. Turn the one side over the side with the oysters and gently mold into a long-round shape and chill well. Continue the process until you have 8 croquettes. Let stand cold for 2-3 hours.
- In two mixing bowls add the breadcrumbs to one, and crack the 4 eggs into the other. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and beat well. Remove the croquettes from the refrigerator. One at a time, dust them in flour, dip them in the beaten egg, then roll them in the breadcrumbs. Return them to the refrigerator.
- Heat the oil in the pot to 350 degrees on the candy thermometer.
For the Sauce Choron
- In a small saucepan on a medium heat, reduce the shallots, tarragon, peppercorns and vinegar to a syrup. Reserve.
- In a small mixing bowl, using a wire whip, beat the egg yolks in a warm place over the stove or a pot of simmering water, until they start to show shinny ribbons, about 2-3 minutes. Add the butter, a couple pieces at a time, mixing the entire time, incorporating the butter into the eggs. Continue until all the butter is emulsified with egg. Thin with the water, lemon juice and season with the salt and cayenne pepper. Keep just warm.
- Push the reserved reduction of vinegar through a sieve into the hollandaise. Fold in the tomato paste and the tomato concasse. Keep just warm.
For the dish
- Fry the cold croquettes, 2 or 3 at a time in the hot oil, until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove to paper towel-lined plate and keep warm as you fry the remainder of the croquettes. Serve with the sauce choron spooned over the croquettes.
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