Cocktail Snacks - Manchego, Tuna and 'Nduja Croquettes
My Thanksgiving cocktail hour duties + gift recommendations for gourmands
Hello! Welcome to Sunday’s newsletter: recipes & more.
In today’s newsletter you will find the inaugural recipe of my new series cocktail snacks, and let me tell you, this snack is tasty, very tasty. Plus, I have some gift suggestions for the gourmand in your life.
Sarah x
It feels like winter; the mornings are cold.
The wind hisses and groans and protests the morning frost; it permeates bone and marrow.
I see a fragile tree on the horizon, curved like a half-moon; the branches tremble under the caress of the wind. The air is tight. Jack Frost pinches my cheeks.
My eyes water; the bitter cold, you can taste.
Upon returning home, I notice the milk has escaped the bottle, a frozen eruption, and the newspaper pages are ice sheets; a cup of tea will have to wait. The warmth of my bed is calling in dulcet tones; perhaps I should surrender and rest and wait for the day to wake.
An English Thanksgiving
As the incoming cold front points towards a festive season packed with food and celebration, our home turns into a restaurant and the kitchen into a frenzied back-of-house, humming with chaotic energy reminiscent of a scene from ‘The Bear’.
In a sleepy English countryside enclave, one hour from London, we are once again, for the third year, preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving wasn't part of my British upbringing, however, being married to an American has made it an annual delight. From our very first Thanksgiving, with my usual enthusiasm for any food-related projects, I jumped into the deep end. Embodying the energy of Martha Stewart, I set out with grand plans to master the ins and outs of traditional American festive cooking - assuming such a thing still exists.
Past years have included a monstrous turkey taking center stage, surrounded by a supporting cast of succulent stuffing, pomme aligot (think extra cheesy luxury mashed potato), and, most joyfully, a lineup of mouthwatering side dishes. Picture mac and triple cheese, a decadent indulgence; candied yams crowned with toasted marshmallows and spiced pecans; dinner rolls, freshly baked, piping hot, and steamy from the oven; corn adorned with thick squares of melted French butter, and sweet potato pie with mountains of lightly whipped cream.
How delightful it is to see a meal crafted over days, joyfully consumed within minutes. Nevertheless, this year, I find myself uninterested in dealing with the faff. As a proactive measure, I've assumed the task of coordinating the cocktail hour and appetizers, aptly named in this context as cocktail snacks.
The main event will still feature all the traditional elements. However, this year my highly capable mother is chef-de-cuisine (to her delight) and my husband, (to his dismay), is her trusty sous chef.
As for my father? He's been given the important task of staying out of the way. You'll likely find him comfortably settled by the fireplace, immersed in a newspaper, occasionally extending offers of assistance, namely, taste testing! Must be nice.
The new plan – no fiddling
In our house we generally enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres a few hours before the main Thanksgiving meal. It holds the guests over, and keeps us cooks in the kitchen satisfied whilst we toil with plucking, roasting and mashing things.
This year hors d’oeuvres seem far too fiddly, so I’ve settled on a menu of delicious small plates. Think potato flatbreads filled with cheese, garlic confit and some sort of herby winter pesto. To follow, perhaps some sort of elaborate pintxo (small bar snacks). The Gilda Pintxo is the Basque country badass of pintxos: olives, fiery peppers, and anchovies - all impaled on a stick. I’m planning to perhaps add some sort of charcuterie element - a smoked meat of some sort. Whatever additions I settle on, this snack will be washed down with a dirty martini or two, that's for sure.
Manchego, Tuna and 'Nduja Croquettes
These croquettes are basically deep-fried mashed potatoes. What's not to love about that? Adding a touch of indulgence, I threw in 'nduja, that delightful spiced cured meat spread, along with Manchego and Gruyere cheese (fantastic for melting due to the low-pH), with good quality tinned tuna in olive oil. The croquettes rest on a bed of 'nduja, mascarpone, and honey sauce, delivering a bite that's pretty close to perfection.
See below for the recipe. And by the way, this is a series, so there will be three more cocktail snack recipes to come.
Manchego, Tuna and 'Nduja Croquettes
Makes around 16-18 croquettes
450g (approx. 2-3) medium potatoes (such as Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and cubed
1 tbsp kosher salt
30g unsalted butter
150g Manchego cheese, (75g grated, 75g small cubes)
150g Gruyere (75g grated, 75g small cubes)
120g tinned tuna (oil packed)
50g 'nduja (approx. 2 heaped tbsp)
2 large egg yolks
For breading and frying
250g (approx. 1 ½ - 2 cups) fine or panko breadcrumbs
3 large egg whites, beaten (save the extra egg yolks for another use)
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Creamy honey 'nduja sauce
250g (approx.1 tub) of mascarpone
1-2 tablespoons of ‘nduja
1 - 1 ½ tbsp of honey
Method
In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring water to the boil and add the potatoes with a tablespoon of salt. Boil for approx. 10-12 mins until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain, then leave to cool slightly (approx. 8-10 minutes).
Return the potatoes to the pot and add the grated cheese (keep the cubed for later). Then, flake in the tuna and add the 'nduja, butter, egg yolks and seasoning. Mash well until relatively smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
Scoop out with a tablespoon, and then use your hands to roll enough mixture to form one golf ball-size croquette before adding a few cubes of Gruyere and Manchego to the center of each ball (you can always sub for mozzarella if you prefer). Tip. If the mixture is sticking to your hands, lightly wet your hands with water or a little oil.
Place the croquettes on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking parchment and refrigerate for approx. 30 mins to firm up.
Meanwhile, make the 'nduja mascarpone sauce. Simply mix the mascarpone, ‘nduja and honey to combine. Add a little salt and taste for flavor. This concoction is good, very good, so try to resist eating the whole lot before serving. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Now, place the beaten egg whites in a medium size bowl and add the fine breadcrumbs to a wide brimmed bowl/large plate. When ready, dip one croquette at a time into the egg whites before rolling in the breadcrumbs to coat. Repeat until all the croquettes are breaded and returned to the baking sheet. The croquettes can now be stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to fry them.
To cook the croquettes, you can either bake or fry them. For baking, preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy. They are, however, much better fried. For this, heat oil in a deep saucepan to 200C. Fry in batches of 2-3 for about 3-4 minutes, turning very gently until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil, drain on kitchen paper, and season with salt.
Note: To check if the oil is ready drop in a small cube or crust of bread and if it sizzles, you’re ready to go.
Serving
Arrange the 'nduja sauce artfully on a plate and place the croquettes directly on top. I like to dip the top of my croquettes in a little honey and then dunk them into finely cut chives, but you could always serve with extra grated parmesan.
Tip: If you plan to prepare/fry these in advance for a dinner gathering, a quick spin in the microwave before serving works wonders. Alternatively, store the pre-fried croquettes in the fridge and turn the cooking into a collaborative experience with your guests. Assign one to frying duty and another to plating, all while ensuring everyone has a dirty martini or a 50/50 mix in hand. Cheers!
Gift Recommendations for Gourmands
Tinned Fish Christmas Decoration - Ridiculous? Yes. Fabulous? Absolutely!
Giant Maldon Salt - I'm not sure there's a more profound way to express love than gifting a bucket of salt.
Chinois Passing Strainer - Perfect for the cook in your life. I’m not quite sure how I survived without this essential piece of kitchen equipment.
Bonne Maman Calendar 2023 - a yearly delight.
Jose Gourmet Portuguese Sardines, variety pack - The prettiest tinned fish around.
That’s it for Sunday’s Recipes & more! See you this coming Friday for my first Home Culinary School Diary!
You’ve definitely inspired me to try more tinned fish. 😊 Love the tinned fish ornament.