The recipe comes from the book Nigel Slater’s “Greenfeast: Spring, Summer”.  

This is a spring version of potato croquettes, with spring cabbage and fresh herbs, but you can use other additions, such as green peas or broccoli. 

In the original recipe, the author recommends pan-frying, but I chose to bake them in the oven – less fat and less work. 

The type of potatoes we use is important. You should choose a floury variety. If the potatoes are too watery, it will be difficult to form the croquettes, they will stick to your hands and spread out. In such situations, you can add a bit of breadcrumbs or potato flour to the mixture. You can also use potatoes left over from the previous day. You just need to take them out of the fridge earlier and wait for them to warm up a bit. This will make it easier to work the mixture.

Potato and Spring Cabbage Croquettes

inspired by: “Nigel Slater, “Greenfeast: Spring, Summer”

500g peeled potatoes 

250g spring cabbage (without tough parts)

40g butter

handful of chopped fresh herbs (whatever you like: parsley, dill, mint)

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 egg (optional, it wasn’t in the original recipe)

breadcrumbs (for coating the croquettes)

2 tablespoons oil for baking , if pan-frying, then more fat

salt, pepper

Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes in salted water. Drain thoroughly and press through a ricer or mash with a potato masher. Add the butter to the still-warm potatoes, mix thoroughly (until the butter melts) and set aside to cool.

Cook the cabbage in salted water for 8 minutes, drain and cool in a strainer. Squeeze the excess water out of the cooled cabbage and chop finely. 

Transfer the cooled potatoes and cabbage to a bowl. Add the egg and herbs, season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. If the mixture is cohesive, we can form the croquettes right away, but it’s worth refrigerating it for at least an hour.

We can shape the croquettes with wet hands or – as I did – using two spoons. 

Roll the formed croquettes in breadcrumbs and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops of the croquettes with fat.

Preheat the oven to 200°C, convection setting, bake for about 40 minutes on the middle rack. After about 30 minutes, check whether the croquettes are browning too much. Every oven is different and it’s worth peeking from time to time to avoid disaster… Without convection, baking may take longer or you need to increase the baking temperature.

We ate the croquettes with yogurt sauce, but you can prepare some salad or coleslaw. 

Yogurt Sauce

250 ml natural yogurt

radish, finely chopped

chives or fresh mint, finely chopped

garlic clove, crushed

salt, pepper

Enjoy!