This recipe is a combo of two of my favorite things -- chicken wings and fried anything (which I guess technically can be one and the same). It's the first time I can remember making croquettes and I must say, I was VERY pleased with myself. This is a new favorite snack of mine, hope it becomes one of yours too!
Buffalo Chicken Croquettes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
4 cups cooked chicken, minced or shredded
2 stalks, chopped small
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
breadcrumbs
ranch dressing mix
oil for frying
Whisk together heavy cream and buffalo wing sauce until well blended. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tbsp of flour and blend well.
Pour the cream-wing sauce into the pan and simmer until thickened.
Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Mix together the chicken and celery. Pour in cooled sauce mix and blend well until all the chicken is coated.
Form into patties (will be very loose) and place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm OR put in freezer for about 30 minutes until firm.
Mix together the breadcrumbs and ranch dressing mix in a shallow bowl (about 1 tsp dressing mix to 1/3 cup breadcrumbs). Whisk the eggs and place in a shallow bowl. Put the flour in yet another bowl. And now your dredging station is ready.
Carefully coat the patties in flour, shaking off excess. Dip them in the egg and then roll in the breadcrumb mix.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Cooking in batches, fry the patties in hot oil for about 2-3 mintes per side or until they are nicely browned all around.
Remove from oil and set on a rack to cool. I cover a cookie sheet with paper towels and put a rack on top to allow the excess oil to drain off.
Let cool for a few minutes before serving so that you don't burn the roof off your mouth. They taste great plain, but if you want to have something to go with them, I mixed together the buffalo wing sauce with some plain yogurt to make a simple dip.
NOTES
I minced my chicken this time, but will probably hand-shred it and chop it up a bit the next time. The more sinewy shredded chicken will help to hold the patties together a little better.
If you feel your mixture is too soft to easily form into patties, just put the bowl in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to allow it to firm up and then try again.
I did a 50/50 heavy cream-buffalo sauce mix because I knew at least half (GP Mom) of my tasting crew doesn't like super hot food, but you can play with the mix. Next time I think I'll try 1/3 HC to 2/3 BWS.
Whatever combo you try, you want to make sure that your buffalo wing sauce has some viscosity to it, it needs to be as thick as your heavy cream as not to lose the balance of the sauce.
On the off-chance you have leftovers, I recommend reheating them in the oven at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes so you don't loose the crunch.
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