Pappy's Chicken Croquets

Crout

This takes two days to prepare, but are they worth it.

PAPPY’S CHICKEN CROQUETS

1 roaster-6 lbs. or so (can use chicken, turkey, or my favorite….pheasant. You can also mix chicken and pheasant)

Cut up chicken and put in pot, cover with water, add 1 onion cut in half,
Good sprig of parsley and cook until tender (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours)

Remove chicken from pot and cut into small pieces, removing bones.
Sieve the broth and save to make gravy if desired. (I like to use the white sauce for gravy, but a "regular" gravy is fine)
Add to the cut up chicken 1 small onion (minced)
2 tablespoons celery, use leaves if possible, cut very fine
2 tablespoons parsley, cut very fine
Add salt and pepper and mix well

Make thick white sauce and add to the chicken mixture.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Place in the refrigerator over night to cool through

White sauce:
4 table. Soft butter
7tabl. flour
1 teas. salt
2 cups milk
Whisk together over heat and stir constantly until it bubbles and gets thick

The next day take a little of the chicken mixture at a time to shape into small bell shapes, about 3 inches high. Dip into 3 eggs mixed with a little milk and bread with breadcrumbs. You must do this 2 times so there are no leaks when they are deep-fried.
Set temperature of deep fryer at 375 degrees. Fry until golden brown.

The croquets can be frozen AFTER they are fried.
When you want to use them, place on a cookie sheet or pie tin, set oven at 300 for 45 minutes and enjoy. No need to thaw them. Lots of work but worth the effort

Don D

This sounds great! And I'll try it. I've been eating salmon croquettes all my life and am curious about the 3-inch high bell shape.

Crout

The absolute best is the chicken/pheasant mixture. I remember once when I was about 17 I came home with 4 nice cockbirds. My Dad went out, bought 4 roasters and made DOZENS of croquets, which he then froze. I have no idea where the bell shape comes from. That's just the way he makes them. I assume it's something he got from his mother, who was Amish.

Don D

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-27-04 AT 08:48AM (CST)[/font][br][br]I hate to be anal about this thing, but, since they are bell shaped and I assume sit on the flat bottom of the bell, do you lay them down to fry or roll them around when they cook or just let them sit like a bell....and do they float like fish when they're done?

Crout

I'm trying to recall....I haven't made these is a while. I sort of plop them into the hot oil flat-side down. I don't think they float like fish...I always look at the color to determine doneness. They should be golden brown....even if you're gonna freeze them for later. I'll check with my Dad and see what he says. He's usually online now (at age 80).

Crout

I checked with my Dad and he does the same thing: lay them in the oil flat-side down and when they're golden brown they're ready. Keep in mind that the chicken is already cooked when they go into the oil, so doneness is not an issue. You'd think that would have dawned on me, but it took my Dad to remind me.