Koreans love these croquettes for the same reason Westerners do: They’re crunchy outside and creamy inside. Watch the croquettes carefully as they cook: If the oil gets too hot, they may overbrown or burst; if the oil isn’t hot enough, they won’t get crisp enough. When properly cooked, they will stay crisp for several hours.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped scallion
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
FOR THE CROQUETTES:
- 2 cups plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup minced extra-lean beef, such as flank steak
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced peeled carrot
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Korean bread crumbs (ppang-garu) or panko
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make the dipping sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Make the croquettes: Heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a small skillet. Add the beef and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper, carrot, and onion and stir-fry for another 1 minute to soften slightly. Remove from the heat.
- Cut the potatoes into ½-inch-thick slices and put them in a large heavy skillet. Add the 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are soft and almost all the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes, transfer to a bowl, and mash them. Stir in the vegetables and beef, mixing well. Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions. Roll each one into a ball and flatten into a 2-inch disk.
- Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Beat the egg in another shallow bowl. Put the bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl. Coat each croquette with flour, dip into the egg, and coat with bread crumbs. Transfer to a large platter or baking sheet.
- Heat the remaining 2 cups vegetable oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 330°F. Add the croquettes and cook in batches, turning several times, until they are golden brown and very crisp outside, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary as they cook, lowering it if they are browning too quickly or if it looks like they are about to burst.
- Drain the croquettes briefly on a paper-towel-lined plate and serve hot, with the dipping sauce.
