A crisp, breadcrumbed cylinder that splits open to reveal a molten, intensely meaty beef ragout. The Dutch snack-bar icon, eaten with mustard or stuffed into a soft bun.
The kroket — a crumbed, deep-fried cylinder of thick beef (often veal) ragout, the same filling as bitterballen but elongated — descends from the French croquette, first recorded in Massialot's 1691 court cookbook and Dutchified after it reached the Netherlands in the 18th century. Snack bars like Van Dobben and Kwekkeboom turned it into an everyday food after the Second World War, and it became an icon dispensed hot from the little glass doors of the FEBO automatiek wall. The Netherlands now eats hundreds of millions a year.
The crust crackles, then yields to a hot, creamy, beefy core that almost flows. A smear of sharp Dutch mustard sets off the savory richness of the ragout.
A very thick roux-bound ragout sets solid when chilled, so it can be breaded and fried; the crumb shell crisps and insulates while the inside reheats to a luxuriously molten state.
Variations
kalfskroket (veal), satékroket (peanut satay), goulashkroket, garnalenkroket (shrimp), bitterballen (bite-sized)
On the Palate
Where Kroket Dutch sits in the Dutch flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 190 min
Simmer beef in seasoned stock until very tender, then shred it finely and reserve the stock.
- 210 min
Make a thick roux by cooking butter with flour, then whisk in the warm beef stock.
- 310 min
Cook the sauce until very thick, then stir in the shredded beef and seasonings.
Watch outCook the sauce until it's paste-thick and pulls away from the pan in a mass — if it's at all loose it won't firm up enough to shape and fry later.
- 4180 min
Spread the ragout in a tray and chill until firm enough to handle, a few hours.
Watch outChill until the ragout is cold and solid all the way through, a few hours — warm or soft in the middle and it'll burst out through the crust in the fryer.
- 510 min
Shape the cold ragout into cylinders.
- 615 min
Coat each in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs; repeat the egg and crumb for a thick crust.
- 73 min
Deep-fry at 180°C for two to three minutes until deep golden and crisp.
Watch outFry at a steady hot oil until deep golden and crisp in two to three minutes — too cool and the crust soaks oil before the inside turns molten.
- 82 min
Drain briefly and serve hot with mustard.
