Croccette di patate (Potato Croquettes)

📝 Ingredients

• 1 kg 2 lbs. russet or other mealy potato
• 2 eggs (or 3 yolks)
• 100 g 4 oz. grated Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of Parmesan and pecorino romano, or just pecorino
• A scrape of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• A pinch of finely chopped parsley (optional)
• 2-3 eggs (beaten with a spoonful of milk or water)
• Breadcrumbs
• Oil for deep frying (see Notes)
• Mozzarella (cut into small strips, and seasoned with salt)
• A combination of mozzarella and cooked ham (cut into small dice)
• Mozzarella (cut into small strips, and anchovy fillets)
• Another meltable cheese (like fontina and salami, cut into small dice)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Steam the potatoes in their skins (aka jackets) for about 30-40 minutes, or until they are fully cooked. (To test for doneness, stick a paring knife into them. If you can lift the blade out of the potatoes without lifting the potato, they're done.) Let the potatoes cool completely.
2. 2Peel the potatoes and cut them halves or quarters and pass them through a food mill or potato ricer.
3. 3Then mix in the rest of the ingredients listed above with a wooden spoon or spatula, making sure to salt them generously, until you have a stiff dough that forms a ball:
4. 4If the mixture feels a bit too soft or wet, add more grated cheese or a spoonful of flour, enough to stiffing things up.
5. 5Now set up yourself up with plates full of egg and breadcrumbs, plus your filling if using (today, I used mozzarella). Take a piece of the dough, about the size of ping pong ball, in your hands, and flattened it into an oval shape in the palm of your hand. If you are using a filling, press the filling into the center and close the dough around the filling and then roll it around with your hands to form a lozenge-shaped croquette. If not using the filling, just form the dough into croquettes.
6. 6Pass each croquette in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs. When you are done, put them into the fridge for an hour or so, or until you are ready to cook.
7. 7Deep fry the croquettes in abundant oil, heated to 180C/350F, until they are nice and golden brown to your liking. This should take about 5 minutes.