Neapolitan Potato Crocchè: The Original Recipe for Fried Panzarotti
Preparation: 30 min
Cooking: 45 min
Rest: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Doses for: about 10 croquettes
ingredients
Potatoes
1 kg
Egg
2
Grated Parmesan cheese
50 gr
Grated pecorino cheese
50 gr
Parsley
1 tuft
salt
qb
pepper
qb
Provola
qb
Peanut oil
qb
For the breading
Flour
qb
Bread crumbs
qb
Egg whites
2
Neapolitan potato croquettes , also known as panzarotto, are a classic street food of Neapolitan cuisine , sold in all street fry shops along with zeppole di pasta crescere , pasta frittatine and scagliozzi . It is a simple potato croquette with a soft and stringy heart of provola or mozzarella, breaded in flour, eggs and breadcrumbs, then fried in boiling seed oil.
Making potato croquettes at home is not at all complicated, but we give you some advice to get a perfect result. First of all, it is important to choose floury potatoes with yellow flesh, the most suitable for obtaining a compact croquette that does not fall apart during cooking. Once you have prepared the mixture based on potatoes, eggs and spices, you will just need to take a part of it, fill it with scamorza, give the panzarotti the classic cylindrical shape and then bread them.
Our recipe calls for a foolproof breading , which does not detach from the dough, so you have to follow three steps: flour the croquette, pass it in the egg white and finally in the breadcrumbs. To seal everything well, you can also proceed with a double breading, repeating the previous steps a second time.
Finally, to prevent the potato croquettes from breaking during frying, let the mixture harden in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or for 5 minutes in the freezer, and monitor the temperature of the oil with a kitchen thermometer. With the indicated doses you will obtain approximately 10 croquettes.
Discover how to prepare Neapolitan potato croquettes by following the step-by-step procedure and tips. If you liked this recipe, also try the potato croquettes and Neapolitan fried pizzelle .
How to prepare Neapolitan potato croquettes
Step 1
To prepare Neapolitan croquettes, start by cooking the potatoes: place them in a saucepan with plenty of water1, put them on the stove and boil them for about 30 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with the prongs of a fork. Do not overcook the potatoes, otherwise it will be more difficult to shape the croquettes.
Step 2
Then, let them cool, peel them and, with the help of a potato masher, reduce them to a puree, collecting it in a large bowl.2.
Step 3
Add the eggs and season with grated parmesan, pecorino and black pepper. Add the washed and chopped parsley3.
Step 4
Mix all the ingredients well until you get a smooth and easy to work dough.4, then add salt to taste.
Step 5
At this point, cut the scamorza into sticks5.
Step 6
Wet your hands and take a little dough. Then, form an oval, flatten it slightly in the center and place a piece of scamorza6.
Step 7
Close the croquette well, working it to obtain the classic cylindrical shape.7. Once ready, arrange them on a serving plate and set them aside.
Step 8
Now take care of the breading: put the flour on a plate8.
Step 9
Pour the egg whites into a second dish9.
Step 10
Collect the breadcrumbs in a third plate10.
Step 11
So, bread the croquettes in this order: pass them first in the flour and then in the egg whites.11.
Step 12
Finally, cover them with breadcrumbs and arrange them on a plate.12and let it rest in the fridge for an hour: the rest will prevent the breading from coming off during cooking and will ensure the formation of a golden, crunchy crust.
Step 13
In a non-stick pan, heat plenty of seed oil and make sure it reaches a temperature of 170 °C with a kitchen thermometer : if you don’t have one available, you can follow one of the home methods to monitor the temperature of the oil . Fry the croquettes until golden brown, turning them from time to time: to keep the oil temperature constant, cook a few at a time13.
Step 14
Place the croquettes on a plate with kitchen paper to remove excess oil.14.
Step 15
The croquettes are ready to be served: enjoy them hot and stringy15.
Tips and variations
If you want to make an even tastier version of potato croquettes, you can stuff them with a slice of cooked ham .
If the dough is too soft, add a little flour or breadcrumbs before proceeding with the breading. If you use mozzarella instead of provola, let it drain well to avoid the dough being too moist. In general, we recommend opting for fiordilatte , provola, or, alternatively, caciocavallo.
For a lighter version of potato croquettes, you can prepare them in the oven : place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, season with a drizzle of oil and cook at 200°C for 15-20 minutes.
If you have special needs, you can also make the croquettes without eggs : prepare a very compact dough with 1 kg of boiled red-skinned potatoes, 50 g of pecorino, 50 g of parmesan, 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and parsley; stuff with the provola and create a batter with 150 ml of water and 100 g of flour; pass the croquettes in the batter and then in the breadcrumbs, then fry them or cook them in the oven.