This is the Veal Croquette recipe as my friend Martha Holloway wrote it. I couldn’t remember what she meant by (turkey piece). I have only made this once, to rave reviews, many years ago. I asked all my friends what she could possibly have meant. I asked my butcher if this was a term for a particular cut of meat. My daughter asked some of her Chef friends and they all laughed and said they had never heard of it either. My friend is no longer with us so I wrote to her daughter Barbara and asked her what her mother could have meant. She said that sometimes her Mom couldn’t find the veal roast when she needed it so she used turkey instead. She got a good laugh out of my attempts to decipher her Mom’s notation.
Below you can see the original recipe in Martha's handwriting except for her name on the right which I added so I wouldn't forget who I got it from.
When I made this so long ago, I did use an old-fashioned meat grinder, but today I think I would attempt to chop finely in a Cuisinart. I don’t think it should be pasty as you would grind for a pâté. There should be some slight texture to the meat and, watch out for the hardboiled eggs. They can become paste in a second.
This is a great recipe for “make ahead” so that all you have to do is quickly fry them. Remember, the meat is cooked so all you need to do is fry enough to make sure they are heated through and to brown them.
I’d love to hear from anyone who does make them and I would pass on your comments to Barbara as I know she would be pleased as well.
Veal Croquettes
1-1/2 lb. veal (turkey piece)
3 hardboiled eggs
White Sauce
Seasoning to taste
Cook veal until tender and let cool in broth. When cool grind and grind eggs adding to meat. Mix in white sauce. Needs to all hold together well as you will be handling them to shape and roll. Place in refrigerator for a few hours or a day before using. Then, mold into shapes, dip in beaten egg and roll in cracker crumbs (not too finely crushed) Fry in deep fat until brown. Makes about 12.
After shaping, you can freeze them. When thawed, dip in beaten egg and roll in cracker crumbs then fry.
1 Cup White Sauce
2 T butter – melted
1 T flour
¾ C milk
Dash of salt
You will need at least ½ C sauce to each 1C of meat/egg mixture.