Pork & Kimchi Japanese Style Croquette

Japanese style croquette is one of my favourite potato dishes.  The one I am introducing here is a variation adding the famous Korean pickles Kimchi as "Umami".

Because Kimchi has a unique strong flavour, quite many Western people hesitate to eat it.  However, once it is cooked as an ingredient of a dish, its strong flavour disappears and only Umami remains to make the dishes more delicious.

This is a very delicious hearty potato dish and I bet you will change your ideas about Kimchi and start using it for your cooking as a secret spice!  

Ingredients for 8
★2 teaspoons soy sauce
★1 teaspoon sake or if not available replace by 1 teaspoon dry sherry or white wine
★1 teaspoon sugar
2 large russet potatoes (about 1.4 lb)
4 oz thin sliced pork belly or if not available replace by 4oz ground pork
4 oz napa cabbage kimchi
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
white pepper to taste
1/3 cup finely chopped green onion
1 teaspoon sesame oil
about 1 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and white pepper
2 eggs, well beaten with 2 tablespoon milk
some bread crumbs, preferably Japanese style panko
some canola oil to shallow fry


Instructions
Combine the first 3 ingredients with ★, stir well and set aside.

Wash the potatoes and lightly pat-dry with a paper.  Wrap the potatoes individually with a paper towel and cook in microwave at 1000W for 8 minutes.  Remove the paper towels and place the potatoes on an oven-able tray, turning the potatoes over, so the top side in the microwave becomes the bottom side in the oven.  Cook in a preheated oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until tender when tested with a skewer.

While baking the potatoes, chop the pork belly and kimchi finely.  As for the kimchi, very lightly squeeze it to remove most of the liquid before or after chopping.

Heat the canola oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic for 30 seconds, or until it becomes fragrant.  Add the pork belly and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until the meat is no longer red.

Add the kimchi to the frying pan.  Continue frying for 4 - 5 minutes, until the kimchi's liquid evaporates and the mixture becomes a little stickier.  Add the ★ spice mixture to the frying pan.  Stir well and cook for a minute or so.

Add the green onion and sesame oil, mix well and remove from the heat.  Cool the mixture for 10 - 15 minutes.

Cut the potatoes lengthways in half , and with a spoon scrape out the potato flesh while they are still hot (being careful of not to get your hands burnt)!  Discard the skins.  Mash with a folk roughly rather than using a masher.  A few lumps left over always make the croquette texture better.  Stir in the pork and kimchi mixture.  Season with salt and white pepper as necessary.

Transfer the potato mixture to a 10 x 6 inch square tray and spread evenly.  With a scraper or knife, score the mixture into 8 even pieces.  Cool it completely.

Gently squeeze and shape each portion of the potato mixture into an oval.  Coat the each oval potato cake with the seasoned flour, dip it into the egg mixture and coat with the bread crumbs.  Then, dip it into the egg mixture and coat with the bread crumbs one more time.  Chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to set.

Heat about 1/4 inch deep oil in a frying pan and cook the potato cakes until they become brown all over.

Serve hot with Bulldog "Tonkatsu" Sauce (available at the ethnic corner of your nearest supermarket).

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Below is the Japanese version of the recipe.  If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese with pictures covering every step, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!


＜材料　８個分＞
じゃがいも．．．大きめ３個（約６００ｇ）
豚バラ．．．１００～１２０ｇ
白菜キムチ．．．１００ｇ
サラダ油．．．適宜
にんにく、みじん切り．．．１かけ
白こしょう．．．適宜
★醤油．．．小さじ２
★酒．．．小さじ１
★砂糖．．．小さじ１
★味の素．．．適宜
ねぎ、細かく刻む．．．１／３カップ程度
ごま油．．．小さじ１
塩．．．適宜（必要に応じ）
（衣）
小麦粉．．．約１カップ
塩白こしょう．．．適宜
卵．．．２個
牛乳．．．大さじ２
パン粉．．．適宜
（その他）
サラダ油．．．適宜


＜作り方＞
 １．じゃがいもは皮ごとたわしで綺麗に洗い、乾いたふきんで水分を軽く拭き取り、少々湿っている状態でキッチンペーパーに包み、１０００Wの電子レンジで８分程度加熱する。

２．１のじゃがいものペーパーを取り除き、レンジの中で上になっていた面を底にしてオーブントレーに並べる。２００度で予熱を済ませたオーブンで２０分焼く。

３．じゃがいもを焼いている間に豚キムチを作る。豚バラ、キムチ共に包丁で細かく刻む。（キムチの水分は少々あっても大丈夫！）

４．フライパンにサラダ油を熱しにんにくを炒める。数秒して香りが立ちはじめたら豚バラを加え、ほぼ火が通るまで２分程度炒める。

５．４にキムチを加え、キムチの水分が蒸発し、少しととこっとしたようになるまで４～５分じっくり炒める。こしょうと★の合わせ調味料を加え、たれが絡んでとろみがつくまで更に２分程度炒める。

６．５にねぎとごま油を加え、さっと全体に混ぜ合わせたら火から下ろす。

７．じゃがいもはオーブンから出したて熱い内に２等分し、スプーンで身をくりぬいてボウルに入れる。皮は処分。

８．マッシャーは使わず、フォークなどで粗く潰す。６を加え、スプーンに替えて全体に万遍なく混ぜ合わせる。味見をし必要に応じて塩で味を調える。

９．８をバットに移し、薄く広げてフライヤーなどで８等分し、そのまま完全に冷めるまで待つ。

１０．衣の準備をする。小麦粉に塩白こしょうを少々加えよく混ぜ合わせる。卵は必ずカラザを取り除き、牛乳を加え、白身のドロドロ感がなくなりさらっとするまで、泡だて器でよく溶きほぐす。

１１．９で分けたコロッケの種を１つずつ俵型に形成する。小麦粉をまぶし、卵に浸し、パン粉を全体につけたら、再び卵に浸し、パン粉をつける。８個全部に衣が付いたら５～６分休ませる。

１２．フライパンにサラダ油を６～７ｍｍの厚さに引いて熱し、コロッケを揚げ焼きする。
 

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