Recipes

Duck croquettes with smoked paprika mayo: golden brown and crispy snack

Duck leg croquettes with smoked paprika mayo. Photograph: Harry Weir Photography

Gráinne O'Keefe's face
Gráinne O'Keefe
Sat Sep 16 2023 - 04:00
Serves: 2
Course: Snack
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
  • For the confit:
  • 2 duck legs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • For the filling:
  • 200g cooked and shredded duck meat (from the confit duck legs)
  • 2 tbsp mashed potato
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 tbsp grated Cheddar
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • To make the croquettes:
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
  • To serve:
  • 150g mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  1. For the confit duck leg: Preheat your oven to 150 degrees. Season the duck legs generously with salt and black pepper. Place them in an ovenproof dish along with the minced garlic, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cover the dish with foil and bake for two hours, or until the duck is tender and easily falls off the bone. Remove the duck from the oven, let it cool slightly, then shred the meat. Discard the bones, skin, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Set the shredded meat aside.
  2. For the croquettes: In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded duck meat, mashed potatoes, diced onion, Cheddar, chopped parsley, salt and black pepper. Mix everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Shape the mixture into small croquettes.
  3. Prepare a breading station with three shallow bowls. Place flour in one bowl, beaten egg in another, and panko breadcrumbs in the third. Dip each croquette into the flour, then the beaten egg, and finally coat it thoroughly with breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs gently to make them adhere.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the croquettes until they are golden brown and crispy, about two minutes per side. Transfer them to the oven and cook at 150 degrees for five minutes. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
  5. Smoked paprika mayonnaise: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, smoked paprika, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix until well blended.
Gráinne O'Keefe

Gráinne O'Keefe

Gráinne O’Keefe is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. She is chef-patron of the Dublin restaurant Mae

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