Croquettes

These light and cheesy fried potato croquettes are breaded twice: They're dredged in bread crumbs, dipped in beaten eggs seasoned with mustard and garlic, then dredged in bread crumbs once more. The payoff is a supercrisp, flavorful crust for the filling of soft mashed potato and melted cheese.

Ismael Prados, the Jamie Oliver of Catalonia, is the chef at La Vinya del Senyor, a Barcelona tapas bar with two branches. Prados presides over the newer one, on the north side of the city center, preparing delicious snacks like these crispy, delicately spiced Croquetes de Rostit.

At the Africa Cafe in Cape Town, diners sit down to communal feasts by chef and co-owner Portia de Smidt. The Pan-African offerings might include these delicious fried yam balls from Malawi, a small country north of South Africa. De Smidt refines the recipe and accentuates its origins by rolling the balls in sesame seeds, a typically Malawian ingredient.

Make these tuna croquettes at your next dinner party.

Mashed potatoes and chicken make a fantastic patty, especially when they're breaded and pan-fried until crisp.

Dried porcini mushrooms flavor these crisp, creamy-centered croquettes, which Jerry Traunfeld serves in walnut-size balls.

Although crisp and creamy croquettes are made throughout much of Spain, cooks in Rioja's wine country are unique in using boiled or Serrano ham mixed with leftovers like roasted chicken.

Be sure to let the chicken-and-ham mixture chill completely before forming it into croquettes so they will keep their shape when fried.

Known as bolinhos in Portuguese ("little cakes"), these croquettes are Daniel Boulud's take on a classic Brazilian bar food. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with plump chunks of salt cod, they are a terrific match for zippy caipirinhas.

At Pizzarium, chef Gabriele Bonci has reimagined the classic Roman fried risotto croquettes known as suppli. He swaps pasta with pesto for the rice and fills the croquettes with creamy stracchino cheese instead of the traditional mozzarella.