Crab Croquettes
By Bryan RoofPublished on February 21, 2022
Time
1½ hours, plus 3 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 18 croquettes)
Ingredients
Croquettes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup finely chopped onion ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper 3 garlic cloves, minced1 ¼ teaspoons table salt 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided1 ½ cups whole milk 8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells3 scallions, sliced thin1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, plus extra for sprinkling½ teaspoon pepper 2 cups panko bread crumbs 2 large eggs 1 ½ quarts vegetable oil for fryingDipping Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauceBefore You Begin
If you can find and afford fresh crabmeat, the crab croquettes will be better. However, refrigerated canned crabmeat, often found at the supermarket fish counter, is the next best thing.
Instructions
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and salt and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup flour until no dry flour remains; cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Slowly whisk in milk; continue to whisk 1 minute longer to ensure no lumps of flour remain. Cook until bubbles begin to break surface and mixture is thickened to consistency of paste, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in crab, scallions, Tabasco, Creole seasoning, and pepper until well combined. Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish and refrigerate, uncovered, until fully chilled and firm, about 3 hours (or cover with plastic wrap once cooled completely and refrigerate overnight).
- Whisk mayonnaise, Tabasco, and Worcestershire together in bowl; refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Place remaining ½ cup flour in shallow dish, beat eggs together in second shallow dish, and place panko in third shallow dish. Divide croquette mixture into 18 heaping 2-tablespoon portions (about 1½ ounces each) and place on rimmed baking sheet. Roll portions between your hands to make balls, then shape into 2-inch-long ovals.
- Working with few croquettes at a time, dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess; roll in beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off; and coat with panko. Return to sheet. (Croquettes can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 hours.)
- Line large plate with triple layer of paper towels. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place 9 croquettes in oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared plate. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining 9 croquettes. Sprinkle lightly with extra Creole seasoning and serve with dipping sauce.
for the croquettes
for the dipping sauce
Time
1½ hours, plus 3 hours chillingYield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 18 croquettes)Ingredients
Croquettes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 ½ cups whole milk
8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
3 scallions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, plus extra for sprinkling
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1 ½ quarts vegetable oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Croquettes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 ½ cups whole milk
8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
3 scallions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, plus extra for sprinkling
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1 ½ quarts vegetable oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Croquettes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 ½ cups whole milk
8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
3 scallions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, plus extra for sprinkling
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1 ½ quarts vegetable oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Inspired by Suire’s Grocery & Restaurant, located deep in Louisiana’s bayou country, we set out to create a home version of fried crab croquettes in the same crunchy-creamy Spanish style found in the region (read about our visit to Suire's here). A superthick béchamel—seasoned with chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic, scallions, spicy Creole seasoning, and vinegary Tabasco hot sauce—binds everything together to ensure structural integrity from the fridge to the frying oil to the table. After mixing flaked crab into the béchamel, we refrigerated the mixture for 3 hours to firm it up before shaping it into croquettes. For an exterior that cracks between your teeth to reveal a soft, creamy interior, we breaded the crab croquettes with a standard three-step breading procedure before deep-frying them in hot oil.
Before You Begin
If you can find and afford fresh crabmeat, the crab croquettes will be better. However, refrigerated canned crabmeat, often found at the supermarket fish counter, is the next best thing.
Instructions
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and salt and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup flour until no dry flour remains; cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Slowly whisk in milk; continue to whisk 1 minute longer to ensure no lumps of flour remain. Cook until bubbles begin to break surface and mixture is thickened to consistency of paste, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in crab, scallions, Tabasco, Creole seasoning, and pepper until well combined. Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish and refrigerate, uncovered, until fully chilled and firm, about 3 hours (or cover with plastic wrap once cooled completely and refrigerate overnight).
- Whisk mayonnaise, Tabasco, and Worcestershire together in bowl; refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Place remaining ½ cup flour in shallow dish, beat eggs together in second shallow dish, and place panko in third shallow dish. Divide croquette mixture into 18 heaping 2-tablespoon portions (about 1½ ounces each) and place on rimmed baking sheet. Roll portions between your hands to make balls, then shape into 2-inch-long ovals.
- Working with few croquettes at a time, dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess; roll in beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off; and coat with panko. Return to sheet. (Croquettes can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 hours.)
- Line large plate with triple layer of paper towels. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place 9 croquettes in oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared plate. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining 9 croquettes. Sprinkle lightly with extra Creole seasoning and serve with dipping sauce.
for the croquettes
for the dipping sauce
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