Recipes Leek-and-Mushroom Croquettes 5.0 (1,166) 1 Review Chef Way Dried porcini mushrooms flavor these crisp, creamy-centered croquettes, which Jerry Traunfeld serves in walnut-size balls.Easy Way Use shiitake mushrooms in place of porcini, and make the croquettes larger for a vegetarian main course. More Delicious Fried Foods Amazing Vegetarian Dishes By Jerry Traunfeld Jerry Traunfeld F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Restaurant: Poppy, Seattle Experience: The Herbfarm, Woodinville, WA; Alexis Hotel, Seattle; Stars, San Francisco Education: California Culinary Academy What is your signature dish? The recipe I’m most famous for is slow-roast salmon with spring herb sauce. You roast it at a low temperature, between 225 and 250 degrees, which is a simple and a foolproof way to cook salmon, but you have to use wonderful, fresh wild salmon. My tip for the sauce, which is a very light butter sauce, is at the end you throw in tons of fresh herbs. Be exuberant with the herbs and chop them coarsely. My top choices are chervil, chives, lemon thyme and lovage, but there’s a huge variety and you can use basil, tarragon and parsley. What is the first dish you ever cooked? Julia Child’s potato leek soup. I was 11 or 12 years old; I was watching a lot of Julia Child on television, she was making this soup and it looked like fun. My mom was all for my making it, and the soup came out great, or at least they said it did. For a neophyte cook, soup is great, because it’s all about balancing flavor and you can learn about that and about chopping. What is your favorite cookbook of all time? I have many favorite cookbooks of all time, including Julia Child’s The French Chef; The Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas; From a Breton Garden, by Josephine Araldo and Robert Reynolds; Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book; The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, by Grace Young; Classic Indian Cooking, by Julie Sahni; and Paula Wolfert’s books. It’s too hard to choose just one. What is the most important skill you need as a chef? The most important skill you need to be a great cook is timing. Everything is based on timing. How long to keep the fish in the pan, when to start the peas if you’re adding them to the pasta, and on and on. Timing’s something you really have to have a sense of to be a good cook. What is the best bang-for-the-buck ingredient? Dried beans. In the winter I’ll cook a big batch of heirloom beans with some aromatics and then I’ll eat them all week. I’ll prepare them with some nice sausage, as bean cakes, in a soup or with a pasta dish. They’re really versatile, and cost almost nothing. What are you obsessed with cooking right now? I’ve been obsessed lately with Chinese cooking, and I use tons of recipes from Fuchsia Dunlop’s new book Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking. I’m going on a tour of China with her in October. Grace Young’s books are also hugely inspiring. I am really interested in Sichuan cooking. The thing that I’m really learning is the simplicity of Chinese cooking, and that you can always taste the ingredient, it’s not hidden. What do you snack on from the refrigerator? I always have kimchi in the refrigerator. My favorite snack is Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chips. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 15, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Joseph de Leo Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 3 hrs Yield: 12 croquettes Ingredients 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon chopped thyme 1 teaspoon chopped oregano 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for coating 1 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 2 large eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons of water 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) Vegetable oil, for frying Directions In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the leeks and shiitake, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the leeks and mushrooms are softened and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the thyme and oregano to the vegetables and transfer to a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the 3 tablespoons of flour and cook over high heat until bubbling, about 1 minute. Add the milk and cook, whisking, until very thick and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the bowl. Add the Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano, season with salt and pepper and stir until the mixture is evenly combined. Lay an 18-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Spoon the croquette mixture onto the plastic in a 12-inch strip. Roll up the plastic, pressing the croquette mixture into a 14-inch log, and twist the ends. Freeze the croquette log until very firm, about 2 hours. Fill 3 shallow bowls with flour, the beaten eggs and the panko and line a large baking sheet with wax paper. Unwrap the log and cut the croquette mixture into 12 pieces. Using floured hands, pat each piece into a 2-inch round patty, about 3/4 inch thick. Dip each patty in the flour, then dip in the eggs and coat with panko, pressing to help it adhere. Set the croquettes on the baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil to 375°. Add all of the croquettes and fry over high heat, turning once or twice, until they are golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. Make Ahead The leek-mushroom croquettes can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight. Serve With A green salad. Suggested Pairing Spicy, earthy Tuscan red blend. Rate it Print