Crocchette Di Patate Calabrese

Don't tell my wife but I had a secret lover on my wedding day. That's right, in addition to my beautiful wife I secretly adored the Crocchette di patate that were being served at our party! The potato croquettes were made with a mashed potato filling, stuffed with cubes of fresh mozzarella, and breaded with fresh breadcrumbs, dried oregano, and finely chopped parsley. Thereafter, the croquettes were deep fried and served piping hot. The restaurant where we held our wedding reception served the crocchette as a side to the main course, but I would have had 6-7 of the delicate croquettes with a few glasses of Ciro as my main meal.

While I adored the crocchette made for our wedding, I always prefer making the real deal at home (even if it does include frying and messing up the kitchen; I'm with Jacque Pepin here, the only thing I hate about cooking is the cleanup!). The following is my crocchette di patate recipe. Serve the crocchette as an appetizer with a few cocktails or as a side with wild salmon of dry aged sirloin. Let's start with the ingredients: