Le Croquet

The end-of-year period is the time for restaurants and bakeries to offer all the delicacies that our profession offers in the form of a festive meal. But now more than ever before, consumers will have to celebrate at home. And the range you offer them will therefore have to be adjusted accordingly. We are thinking of commercial and simple end products that can be prepared quickly and rationally and, on top of that, are deep-freeze resistant or can be kept in the refrigerator for several days

An age-old product that has stood the test of time is the croquette. Today it is more likely sold by caterers, specialized butchers or fish shops; but a century ago this delicacy was mainly found in the luxury counters of pastry bakers in the big city.

The 'croquet' was most likely born in France. It is a derivation of the French word 'croquer' which means crispy. The private chef of Louis the XIV, François Pierre de la Varenne had spare time and sufficient budget to develop new dishes such as the roux, which later became the famous Béchamel sauce. In the 19th century, this recipe was improved by Auguste Escoffier, the founder of French cuisine. Together with his team, he created the meat and ready-to-eat croquette as we know it today.

In earlier times it was mainly the bakeries in the Netherlands and Belgium that sold croquettes. In the Netherlands, croquettes are part of the cultural heritage, just think of the famous vending walls. Nowadays, we see croquettes being sold in all cultures, from restaurants to street food and even the better bakeries. Why not, croquettes do not contain any strange ingredients or difficult techniques, but a solid base, taste and finish. Thé characteristics of better craftsmanship?

Butter and cream play an important role in the salpicon. Butter is the basis of the roux and the cream provides the creamy character. Use the salpicon recipe as a base for your preparation and inspiration. Next to that we have developed already some recipes to get you started.

Basic recipe Salpicon

Ingredients

125 g Debic Traditional Butter
185 g flour
400 ml stock
200 ml Debic Culinaire Original
450 g filling of choice
12 g gelatin sheets
spices, salt, white pepper

Calculate the number of units?
Add up all ingredients and divide by the units below:
- croquet = 80 grams,
- 'bitterbal' (small, spherical croquettes) = 35 grams
- burger = 80 grams,
- tapas size croquet = 50 grams.

Preparation

1.Make the roux. Melt the butter and soften the shallot and garlic. Add the flour all at once and stirwell with a spatula. Let the roux cook gently. For meat croquettes, let the butter colour slightly for a dark roux.