Coastal Mains
Tuna Croquettes
The Strategy:
This recipe elevates humble canned tuna into a wildly luxurious, deeply savory coastal appetizer by suspending the flaked fish in an incredibly thick, Gruyère-laced béchamel sauce. By aggressively chilling the rich, pudding-like mixture, you are able to shape dense cylinders that, when dredged in panko and flash-fried, develop a violently crunchy exterior surrounding a molten, heavily cheese-laced interior. Serving these piping hot, golden-brown croquettes provides an undeniably high-end textural experience that requires minimal ingredients but commands massive attention.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small shallot, finely diced, about 2 tablespoons
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus about 1 cup more for dredging
- 2 cups milk
- 1 (5-ounce) can tuna packed in oil, drained
- zest from 1 large lemon, about 1 tablespoon
- juice of 1 large lemon, about 3 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded, about 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- oil for frying
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat until melted and frothy.
- Add the shallot and garlic and cook until the veggies are soft, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in ¼ cup flour.
- Cook until the paste is smooth is golden, about 3 minutes more.
- Pour in the milk and reduce the heat to medium.
- Stir and cook until the mixture is very thick, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- This mixture will be very thick, like pudding.
- Pour into a baking dish and refrigerate until cooled and even thicker, at least 4 hours. You can do this in the morning or even the day before.
- Remove the chilled tuna mixture from the fridge.
- Use a 2-inch ice cream scoop to form balls. Shape the balls into cylinders.
- Arrange these on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place the baking sheet into the freezer and chill for another 20 minutes.
- Add 1 cup flour, the beaten eggs, and the panko breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls.
- Remove the baking sheet from the freezer.
- Take each tuna cylinder and coat it first in flour, shaking off the excess, then in egg, shaking again, and lastly into the breadcrumbs.
- Place them back on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cylinders. (At this point, you can freeze the croquettes in an airtight container for up to several weeks.)
- Heat enough olive oil to come 1/3 up the side of a deep pot over medium-high heat. The oil should be between 350° and 375°.
- Once the oil is ready, carefully add several croquettes. Leave enough room in the pot for the croquettes to swim around. Use a slotted spoon to gently rotate them until they are golden brown on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer croquettes to paper toweling.
- Serve the croquettes warm with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt and a hit of fresh parsley.
The full recipe lives in the Vault
Ingredients, step-by-step method, and every chef-tested detail are reserved for members of the Estate Registry.
Join the Estate Registry
The Heart of the Table
Dropping a massive, heavy slate board overflowing with fiercely hot, golden-fried tuna croquettes into the center of a gathering instantly establishes a high-energy, deeply indulgent atmosphere. The shattering crunch of the panko giving way to the molten, rich Gruyère interior forces guests to abandon all pretense, aggressively reaching for hot croquettes and eagerly standing around the kitchen island as they devour them.
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Pile the deeply golden, cylindrical croquettes aggressively onto a massive slate or heavy wooden board. Shower them violently with large flakes of sea salt, bright yellow ribbons of fresh lemon zest, and vibrant green chopped parsley while they are still audibly sizzling from the fryer.
- THE POUR: The molten, heavy richness of the Gruyère béchamel and the shattering fried exterior demand a wine with laser-like acidity to slice through the fat. A fiercely chilled, bone-dry Spanish Albariño or a razor-sharp, highly effervescent Blanc de Blancs Champagne perfectly balances the deep, savory richness.
- THE VIBE: High-energy, sophisticated kitchen parties. This is the heavy appetizer you execute while guests are casually leaning against the marble counters, demanding a loud, interactive, and completely unrestrained start to the evening.
