Ingredients for 30 croquettes:1 kg white fleshed potatoes10 egg yolks250 g fresh pecorino cheese, cut into sticks200 g grated aged Pecorino cheese1 jar „Piccantissima“1 bunch of parsley200 g plain white Flour200 g breadcrumbs½ tsp nutmeg (according to taste) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to fry with) salt and pepper
Wash the potatoes and then boil them, with their skins on, in a saucepan with plenty of water and a pinch of salt. To see if they’re cooked: after 10-15 minutes – from when the water comes back to the boil – try pricking them with a fork, if it goes in easily, the potatoes are ready. Strain them, let them cool down and peel them (it’s easier if the potatoes are still fairly warm). Squash them in a bowl with a potato masher or put them through a food mill. When the mashed potato is cold, add the egg yolks, grated pecorino, nutmeg, parsley (only the leaves, washed and finely chopped), half the jar of Piccantissima (or all of it, if you prefer a spicier taste), salt and pepper. Stir everything together well until you have a smooth, compact mixture. Using a spoon, take a quantity about the size of an egg, flatten it, place a stick of fresh pecorino in the centre and close the mixture around it, using your hands to give it a cylindrical shape. Continue until you have used all the potato mixture, laying the croquettes you prepare on a dish lined with greaseproof paper. To coat them in breadcrumbs: prepare 3 bowls, one with the breadcrumbs, one with the flour and one with the egg yolks beaten with a pinch of salt. Quickly dip the croquettes – one at a time – in the flour, then in the beaten egg, and lastly in the breadcrumbs, making sure they are well coated all over, then lay them back on the dish. Heat plenty of oil in a deep frying pan; put the croquettes in a few at a time, and when they are golden brown, turn them over – they should be the same colour all over. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan, let the excess oil drip off and lay them on absorbent paper. Serve the croquettes while still hot. They’re excellent as an appetizer, with aperitifs, for a tempting snack… or you can serve them as a – delicious – main course, accompanied by a fresh salad.