Ingredients for Tuna Croquettes
What you need:
- 12 oz. Tuna (1 large can, drained)
- 1 Tomato
- 1 Onion, medium or small
- 1 Garlic Clove, thinly chopped
- 1 Potato, medium to large
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Cup Bread Crumbs
- 2 to 4 Sprigs Cilantro or Parsley, thinly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Adobo Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Cups Oil, for frying
Preparation:
1. Since the potato will take a bit to cook, start with the potato. Peel the potato and rinse it, place in a large enough pot, cover it by one inch with enough water and boil until fork tender. You can cut in smaller pieces to make this process go faster.
Boil the Potato
2. Now you are going to work on a “Sofrito”, or a combination of ingredients and condiments cut into very small pieces and sautéed together. For this you are going to use the tomato, the onion, the cilantro (or parsley), and the garlic. You can cut them all as small as possible, or you can even use a processor to chop them up for you. Sauté all these ingredients in a large enough pan for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start to brown.
Prepare the Sofrito by Processing or Chopping the Ingredients
Then Stir-fry Them
3. Drain the tuna and add it to the sofrito in the pan along with the adobo and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to sauté, until the tuna is browned and has mixed with all the other ingredients and all the flavors are absorbed.
Add Tuna
4. At this point your potato should be done. Remove the pot from the stove and drain the potato. Add the potato into a mixing bowl and mash it. Set aside for it to cool.
Mash the Potato
5. Now your tuna should be ready as well. Remove from the stove, and add the tuna mixture to your mashed potato and mix well. Set aside for it to cool down, because you will be handling this mixture with your hands and you don’t want it to be too hot.
Mix the Tuna with the Mashed Potato
6. Prepare an assembly line next to your stove and add the oil to a frying pan (or deep fryer if you have one), and begin to heat up the oil.
Prep Your Workspace
7. You should have the bowl with the mixture, a bowl filled with the eggs (scrambled), and a plate with the bread crumbs.
8. Grab some of the tuna/potato mix and roll it in your hands to form a croquette in the shape of a “smokie”, but don’t make them too thick or too thin.
Form Croquettes
9. Place the croquette in the egg bowl and coat with the eggs, then pass it through the bread crumbs and make sure to coat evenly.
Coat with Eggs
Coat with Bread Crumbs
10. Fry the croquettes until the outside is browned and crispy. Set on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Fry Croquettes
Remove Excess Oil
11. Serve as an appetizer with tartar sauce, mayo and/or limejuice. Or serve as a main dish accompanied with rice and vegetables.
Serve with Lemon and Mayonaise
*Makes about 20 to 25 croquettes.
Croquetas de Atún | Venezuelan Tuna Croquettes
¡Buen Provecho!
