Croquette
Deep-fried roll with a thick binder and filling.
A croquette is a deep-fried roll that comes from French cooking and is especially common in Spanish cuisine. It has a thick binder, like béchamel, brown sauce, mashed potatoes, wheat flour, or wheat bread, which is combined with or stuffed around a filling. That filling can include finely chopped meat, seafood, cheese, rice, mushrooms, or vegetables, often seasoned with herbs and spices. Originally, croquettes were made from leftovers like roasted chicken or broth soup, so nothing went to waste. Sweet versions use a pastry cream binder and may be filled with fruit. They can be shaped as rolls, disks, ovals, or balls, and are eaten as a side dish, snack, or fast food around the world.
The word "croquette" comes from French, from *croquer*, meaning "to crunch." In the 18th century, English speakers often spelled it "croquet."
A 17th-century recipe by François Massialot called for a filling of meat, truffles, marrow, bread crumbs, and cheese bound with egg, then breaded and fried in lard. These could be as big as an egg or as small as a walnut, served as an hors-d'œuvre or garnish. An 1706 English dictionary mentions them. One 18th-century recipe used only a batter instead of a thick binder. The modern croquette with a thick binder appears in an 1822 English cookbook by French chef Louis Eustache Ude.
In France, the ragout-filled croquette was considered a delicacy. A 1691 recipe from the chef of King Louis XIV used truffles, sweetbreads, and cream cheese. From the 1800s, it became a way to use leftover stewed meat. Traditional French croquettes are made from thick béchamel, velouté, or potato purée, with ingredients like ham, cheese, meat, or vegetables. Rice-based croquettes are also common, with recipes in Antonin Carême's books.
In Belgium, croquettes (kroketten) are savory and often filled with mashed potatoes. The two most popular types have a thick béchamel filling with grey shrimps (garnaalkroketten) or cheese (kaaskroketten). The shrimp filling first appeared in 1922 and became popular in the 1950s. They are served as a side or main dish, often with salad, fried parsley, and frites.
In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the word is *Kroketten* (singular *Krokette*). These are usually plain potato croquettes, served as a side dish in restaurants and sold frozen in supermarkets.
In Hungary, *krokett* is a small cylindrical croquette made from potat
- origin
- French cuisine
- first documented recipe
- 1691 by the chef of the French king Louis XIV
- etymology
- French, from croquer meaning 'to crunch'
- typical shapes
- rolls, disks, ovals, balls
- common binders
- béchamel, brown sauce, mashed potatoes, wheat flour, wheat bread
Lore & Background
A 17th-century recipe for croquettes by François Massialot binds a filling of meat, truffles, marrow, bread crumbs, and cheese with egg, then breads and fries them in lard. They may be as large as an egg or as small as a walnut, and can be served as an hors-d'œuvre or as a garnish. They are mentioned in a 1706 English dictionary. One 18th-century recipe uses just a batter, rather than a béchamel binder. Croquettes of the modern type, with a thick binder, are documented in an 1822 English cookbook by the French cook Louis Eustache Ude.
In Spain, traditional croquetas are made with thick béchamel and are one of the most typical tapas dishes, especially filled with jamón, chicken or salt cod. In the Netherlands, after World War II, several suppliers started mass-producing croquettes filled with beef, and the kroket became a popular fast food. Research in 2008 showed that 350 million kroketten are eaten in the Netherlands every year, with an estimated 75% of all Dutch people eating them.
Reader's Guide
The croquette has evolved from a French delicacy described in a 1691 recipe by the chef of Louis XIV into a global food item adapted in many cuisines. Its significance lies in its versatility as a way to use leftovers—originally filled with leftovers from roasted chicken or broth soup—and its widespread adoption as a snack, side dish, or fast food. In Belgium, popular varieties include grey shrimp croquettes and cheese croquettes. In Italy, crocchette are made with potatoes or vegetables and are a Southern Italian street food. In the Netherlands, the kroket is the second most popular Dutch snack, with variants like the bitterbal and broodje kroket. In Spain, croqueterías are restaurants that specialize in croquetas. The croquette's ability to incorporate diverse fillings—from jamón to wild mushrooms to satay sauce—demonstrates its cultural adaptability and enduring appeal across continents.
Did You Know?
- The word croquette is French, derived from croquer meaning 'to crunch'.
- A 17th-century recipe by François Massialot binds a filling of meat, truffles, marrow, bread crumbs, and cheese with egg, then breads and fries them in lard.
- In the Netherlands, an estimated 350 million kroketten are eaten per year, with 75% of Dutch people consuming them.
- In Spain, croqueterías are restaurants that specialize in croquetas.
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