Chicken and Pea Croquettes

Chicken and pea croquettes are a tasty and versatile dish, perfect as an appetizer or a main course. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 300 g of chicken breast
• 150 g of fresh or frozen peas
• 1 egg
• 60 g of grated cheese (parmesan or pecorino)
• Breadcrumbs as needed
• Salt and pepper as needed
• Oil for frying

Preparation

1. Start by cooking the peas in lightly salted water until they are tender, then drain them and let cool.
2. In the meantime, cook the chicken breast. You can choose to boil it or cook it in a pan with a little bit of oil until it is golden and cooked through. Once ready, let the chicken cool and then finely chop it with a knife or a food processor.
3. In a bowl, combine the chopped chicken, peas, egg, grated cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well until you have a uniform mixture.
4. Take the mixture and form small croquettes with your hands, then coat them in breadcrumbs so they are completely covered.
5. Heat plenty of oil in a frying pan and, when it reaches the right temperature, fry the croquettes until they are golden and crispy on all sides.
6. Once they are ready, drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
7. Serve the croquettes hot and crispy.

If you would like a lighter and more Italian variant, you could bake the croquettes in the oven at 180°C for about 20 minutes or until they are golden, instead of frying them. In this case, spray the croquettes with a little bit of oil before baking them to help them become crispy.

Curiosity

Croquettes, also known as flat meatballs, are very versatile and can accommodate a wide variety of ingredients. They can become an innovative way to use leftover meat and vegetables. In Italy, they have a long tradition, especially in the baked versions, for a less calorically demanding home cooking.