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Dutch croquettes (kroketten) are crispy, golden-brown fried cylinders with a creamy beef roux filling and homemade stock, requiring overnight refrigeration and 180°C oil frying for authentic texture and flavor.
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Make the stock: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the beef soup meat in the oven with a bit of oil and roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, clean and chop the onion and carrot into large chunks. Bruise the peppercorns and wash the parsley and lovage.
Add 1 liter of water to a large pot. Add the roasted meat and bring to a gentle simmer. Skim off scum as needed.
Add the chopped vegetables, peppercorns, parsley, lovage, and bay leaves. Let simmer gently with the lid off or slightly ajar for at least 4–6 hours (up to 12 hours), adding water as needed.
Remove the solids from the stock. Set aside the cooked meat and discard the vegetables. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
Make the roux: Gently melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the water from the butter has sizzled off, add the flour.
Stir continuously for about 5 minutes over medium-low heat until the mixture smells like cookies. Do not let it burn.
Add the cold stock in large splashes while stirring constantly. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides, until the mixture thickens.
Add the finely chopped or shredded cooked meat. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring continuously.
Season with white pepper, black pepper, nutmeg, salt, and a splash of Maggi seasoning if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning. Optionally stir in fresh chopped parsley or chives.
Transfer the roux to a lightly oiled dish. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap, foil, or paper to prevent a skin from forming. Cool and refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 hours minimum).
Prepare the breading station: Make fine breadcrumbs by grating white bread or Kaiser rolls over a box grater and sieving. Crack 2 eggs into a shallow dish, add a splash of water, and whisk.
Remove the roux from the fridge. Scoop out desired portions using a tablespoon.
Roll each portion into a ball in the fine breadcrumbs. For bitterballen, keep them round. For kroketten, gently press and roll with the flat of your hand into a log shape, making sure to bread the ends.
Dip each shaped croquette into the egg wash, covering completely, then roll in the coarse breadcrumbs or panko. Make any final shape corrections.
Place the breaded croquettes on a baking-paper-lined plate or tray. Refrigerate or freeze for at least 12 hours for best results (can fry immediately but they will be less firm).
Deep-fry the croquettes in hot oil (180°C/350°F) until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Serve with mustard.
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Refrigerate breaded, uncooked croquettes up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months; fry from frozen at 180°C (add 1–2 minutes). Cooked croquettes keep 3 days refrigerated; reheat in a 160°C oven for 10 minutes to restore crispness.
Heavy-bottomed saucepan (for roux and stock) · Fine mesh sieve (for straining stock) · Box grater (for homemade breadcrumbs) · Deep-fry thermometer (to maintain 180°C oil temperature) · Shallow dishes (for egg wash and breadcrumb breading stations)
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Yes, the roux must be refrigerated overnight (minimum 3 hours) before shaping, and breaded croquettes should be frozen or refrigerated at least 12 hours before frying for best results.
Both use the same filling. Kroketten are rolled into log shapes with flat sides; bitterballen are kept round. The shaping happens in step 14 before the second breading.
You can, but they will be less firm inside. The 12-hour refrigeration or freezing allows the filling to set properly, preventing bursting during frying at 180°C.
Deep-fry at 180°C (350°F) until golden brown and crispy on the outside, typically 2–3 minutes depending on size.
Yes, the stock must be cooled and refrigerated overnight after the 4–6 hour simmer, then skimmed of fat before making the roux.
