Japanese-style potato croquette

Japanese-style potato croquette, or korokke, is my favorite way to enjoy potatoes. Korokke are mashed potato patties with chunky bits of onion and ground meat mixed in, covered with a crispy shell of panko bread crumbs. I tweaked the tradi­tional recipe and swapped the meat for tempeh crumbles. Tempeh crumbles gain an irresistibly rich flavor once you cook them in oil and soy sauce, and I bet even traditional korokke lovers won’t notice the difference.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and add just enough water to cover them. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until fork-tender, about
   30 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, if necessary, to prevent the water from boiling over.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and tempeh and sauté until golden brown,
   7-10 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, a generous pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper and cook for about
   2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Mash them with the back of the fork until mostly smooth but with some chunks.
4. Stir in the tempeh mixture, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and dash of pepper. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
5. Divide the potato mixture into 8 equal parts and shape each into an oval-shaped patty.
6. Place 4 tablespoons of flour on a medium plate or tray. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the remaining 6 tablespoons of flour and the soy milk. Place the panko bread crumbs on another medium plate or tray.
7. Working in order, coat the potato patties in the flour, then dip in the batter, and finally coat in the panko. The batter thickens as time passes, so use your fingers to thinly spread the batter on the surface of the patties.
8. In a deep pot, pour enough oil to submerge the food, but less than halfway to the top of the pot. Heat the oil over medium heat to about 175°C; when a pinch of bread crumbs spreads with a bubbling sound, the oil is ready. Working 2 or 3 patties at a time, carefully immerse the korokke into oil and deep-fry until golden brown on both sides,
   3-6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer the korokke onto a paper towel–lined plate or wire rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining patties.
9. Serve with tonkatsu sauce for dipping.

Nutrition

The Vegan Japanese Cookbook