Making potato croquettes with your leftover mash...

So I cooked up a bunch of mash the other night - too much it turns out - and had a whole tupperware box filled with the stuff left over in the fridge the next day. I try my best not to waste food (this  doesn't always work out...) so I decided to try something new with the leftovers - make potato croquettes! They're probably not something Kate Moss or Gwyneth Paltrow would have on their menu at home but they taste mighty fine and my husband Aman loved them... 

What you need:

• All purpose or plain flour (how much depends on how many croquettes you're making. With 1kg of potatoes in your mash you'll probably need two cups of flour, two cups of bread crumbs and two to three eggs...)
• Bread crumbs
• Eggs
• A saucepan with about a centimetre of cooking oil on the bottom (vegetable or sunflower oil will do)
• Sour cream/yoghurt/Veganaise
• Chopped spring onion (the green bit)

What to do:

• Fill a small bowl with sieved flour.
• Fill another bowl with beaten egg.
• Fill another bowl with bread crumbs.
• Wash your hands.
• Take your left over mash (make sure it's very cold) and scoop up about three to four table spoons into your hand.
• Roll the mash into balls or oval shaped croquettes.
• Dip the potato ball into the egg so it coats all over.
• Dip  it into the flour so it coats all over.
• Dip it into the egg again.
• Dip it into the bread crumbs.
• Set aside on a bread board and dip another three or four potato balls.
• Heat the oil on the stove. Make sure it's really hot - but not burning - before you start cooking.
• Put your first four or five dipped and battered croquettes into the hot oil and cook on each side unti the batter is golden brown. (Only cook three or four at a time so that there is enough space for each one to cook properly.)
• I used a spatula with holes in it to turn the croquettes.
• Put the cooked croquettes on a paper towl and dab the tops to get out the excess oil.
• Serve them hot with a dollop of sour cream and chopped spring onion on the top. You can also serve the croquettes with yoghurt or Veganaisse.

I served mine with pork sausage coins cooked in pineapple salsa, but you can serve yours with anything. They make delicious starters too although they're quite heavy so only serve a few.

Happy eating!

 

Urban Bistro in Media City 

Verdict? If you love perfectly toasted sandwiches, gooey macaroons and gourmet tea, head over there.

What did I eat? A toasted turkey, brie and cranberry sandwich on brown bread with a butternut and rice salad. The bread was perfectly  toasted - crisp and warm all the way to the buttery centre - and the blend of brie and turkey was perfectly complemented by the subtle sweetness of the cranberry. This was honestly one of the best sandwiches I've had in Dubai. I just wish the chef had taken the cucumber out before he/she toasted the sandwich. (Cucumber toasting is, as I'm sure you'll know if you live in this city, a problem at many restaurants.) The salad was too cold so the rice was tough and chewy, but having said that, the butternut was beautiful. I've had better salads but the starchiness of the dish could be blamed on the fact that it was 5:30pm so it had probably been in the fridge all day. I finished off with a delightful orange and chocolate macaroon that was perfectly sticky and a pot of Tea Forté English breakfast tea with not one, but two, teabags. It's my new favourite blend and I love the packaging! 

What was the service like? The staff are genuinely friendly and attentive. Oh, and really, really smiley. Maybe I had some macaroon on my face? 

The best thing about Urban Bistro? They have a decent collection of books to browse through while dining and the stylish interior is drenched in light. There's also a great view of the Media City lake so while you're sipping on your latte you can keep an eye on the area's ever increasing wildlife. (There are ducks, koi fish and even turtles in the lake now...)

Out of 10? Eight.

Urban Bistro - CNN building, ground floor, 04 362 4330, www.facebook.com/urbandubai

If anyone reading this blog has been to Urban Bistro please let me know what you thought about it in the comments section...