Salmon Croquettes

For the croquettes:

Peel and cube the russset potatoes into 1½ inch pieces. Add the potato cubes into a medium sized pot, and fill with water until the potatoes are covered. Heat over high heat until the water boils, then reduce to medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes total.

Drain the water off the potatoes. You can keep the potatoes in the pot or put them into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, salt, and milk, beating with a hand-mixer until smooth. We only need three cups of mashed potatoes, so if you have more, reserve that for another use.

Flake the salmon with a fork, and add it to the 3 cups of potatoes along with the scallions and shredded cheese.

Form into palm-sized disks, and set the disks aside on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Whisk the eggs together in a shallow bowl, and set aside. Put the panko bread crumbs onto a lipped plate or shallow bowl and set aside.

Now, we’re ready to coat the croquettes! Dip the disks, one by one into the egg mixture first, then coat with panko bread crumbs, and return to the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all disks are coated.

At this point, you can freeze the croquettes until you’re ready for them! If you have frozen them, let them thaw at room temperature for at least an hour before frying.

Heat a skillet with about a half inch of canola oil over medium-high heat. When the oil has come up to temperature, fry the croquettes in batches until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Put the croquettes onto a paper towel lined plate and finish frying all of them.

For the Hollandaise sauce:

Fill a small pot halfway with water, and heat over medium heat. Place a metal or glass bowl over the pot, so it does not touch the water, and add the egg yolks and lemon juice into the bowl. Whisk continually until the eggs begin to thicken. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the butter cubes one by one, waiting until each one is melted before adding another. Once all of the butter has been added remove bowl from heat and add salt and cayenne pepper.

Place a dollop of Hollandaise on each croquette, top with a parsley leaf, and serve immediately!