Croquettes with Gribiche Recipe

This Croquettes with Gribiche Sauce recipe pairs crisp, golden croquettes with a tangy French sauce made from eggs, Dijon mustard, capers, cornichons, vinegar, fresh herbs, and oil. Featured on Dinner in Paris with host Romain Avril, these delectable French croquettes have a creamy béchamel-style filling made with cooked chicken or ham and a crunchy breadcrumb exterior.

The Inspiration

French croquettes are built around a simple idea: transform a creamy savoury filling into crisp, bite-sized portions. In this version from Dinner in Paris, host Romain Avril begins with a thick béchamel-style mixture of butter, flour, warm milk, and finely chopped chicken or ham.

Chilling is essential to this French croquettes recipe. The mixture is spread onto a tray and refrigerated for one hour so it becomes firm enough to shape into one-inch balls. Each croquette is then coated in flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs before frying.

The Gribiche sauce provides the ideal contrast. Cooked egg yolks are combined with Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper before olive oil and vegetable oil are slowly whisked in. Chopped egg whites, capers, cornichons, parsley, and tarragon are folded through at the end, creating a textured, tangy sauce that balances the richness of the fried croquettes.

Ingredients

For Croquettes

• 200 g (7 oz) cooked chicken or ham, finely chopped
• 40 g (3 tbsp) butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 250 ml (1 cup) milk, warm
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 100 g (1 cup) breadcrumbs
• 50 g (½ cup) flour
• Vegetable oil, enough for 5 cm (2 inches) depth shallow frying

For Gribiche Sauce

• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp capers, chopped
• 1/4 cup cornichons, chopped
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Make Croquettes

• Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook 2 minutes (do not brown). Slowly whisk in warm milk.
• Cook until thick, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in ham, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread mixture on tray and chill 1 hour until firm.
• Shape into 1 inch balls. Set up breading station with 3 bowls (eggs, flour and breadcrumbs separately).
• Dip each in the flour, then shake off excess. Place each ball in the egg, then let excess drip off.
• Finally, roll each ball in the breadcrumbs until fully coated. Place all the balls on a tray until ready to fry.
• Heat oil to 180°C / 350°F. Fry 3–4 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
• Let them sit for 1-2 minutes before serving.

Make Gribiche Sauce

• Bring small pot of water to a boil. Place eggs in the boiling water gently and cook for 7.5 minutes.
• Remove the eggs from the water and place in an ice bath for 10 minutes.
• Once chilled, peel the eggs and cut them in half. Remove the yolks and place them in a mixing bowl.
• Chop the egg whites and reserve separately. To the bowl with the egg yolks, add dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Whisk until uniform. Ina small cup mix together the vegetable oil and olive oil.
• Slowly drizzle the oils into the egg yolk mixture and whisk vigorously.
• Once all the oil is in and the sauce is emulsified, fold in the egg whites, capers, cornichons, parsley and tarragon.
• Adjust seasoning and serve alongside the croquettes. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

These crispy French croquettes are ideal as an appetizer, small plate, or savoury snack. Arrange the golden croquettes on a platter with the Gribiche sauce in a small bowl on the side so each bite can be dipped into the tangy mixture of egg, Dijon mustard, capers, cornichons, and herbs.

The sauce is especially important because its acidity cuts through the richness of the creamy filling and fried breadcrumb crust. The capers and cornichons provide briny sharpness, while parsley and tarragon bring freshness. Serve the croquettes shortly after frying so the exterior remains crisp while the inside stays soft and creamy.

For entertaining, this French appetizer recipe works well as part of a larger small-plate menu. The croquettes are easy to portion individually, while the textured Gribiche sauce gives the platter a classic French character.

Final Thoughts

This Croquettes with Gribiche Sauce recipe combines crisp texture, creamy filling, and tangy French flavour in one satisfying appetizer. The croquette filling begins with a classic butter-and-flour base that thickens with warm milk into a smooth béchamel-style mixture.

Find more recipes from Dinner in Paris here!

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