Baked Lemon Pepper Tuna Ventresca Croquettes
I’ve made fried croquettes before but after a long day of sampling local Oktoberfest beers I wanted something a little lighter. Tweaked my normal croquette recipe by both baking and using Tuna Ventresca (marinated tuna bellies) instead of pouched or canned.
For this dish I combined 2 eggs (beaten), 2 finely chopped green onions, 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs, 1 heaping tbsp of Dijon mustard, 1 tsp of kosher salt, 2 tsps of freshly ground black pepper and a 7 oz. jar of Tuna Ventresca making sure to reserve the olive oil it was packed in. Formed that into patties, dredged them in more panko bread crumbs and placed them on a sheet pan prepped with cooking spray. Took the reserved oil and brushed it on top of the patties, then baked at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Flipped the patties and brushed the other side with the oil and baked for another 14 min.
Served the croquettes on a spinach and romaine salad and paired them with a Kona Big Wave Golden Ale which was a nice lighter ale to go along with the fish. The olive oil gave them a good brown and the panko a great crunch that went well with the greens. The best part was that since the Ventresca was marinated it didn’t dry out during the baking like normal tuna would have.
This is a good recipe to keep in my arsenal for entertaining. I’d imagine these can be prepped early and the patties refrigerated right on the sheets then tossed in the oven when it’s time to bake with only a minor adjustment of the baking time.
Have a favorite croquette recipe? Leave a message in the comments section!
And remember… the food abides…
Coppertail Brewing Co.’s Oktoberfest Tapping 2016
As much as it gets a bad rap, social media can be a great thing in the world of food and beer…
Last Friday I got a photo in my Instagram feed of a cool looking liter mug and a message from Coppertail Brewing Co. to stop in the next day for their 2016 Oktoberfest Tapping event. They would be showcasing their new Oktoberfest and Tampa Dunkel brews and also have said mugs for sale. I asked how many of the mugs would be available and apparently they only ordered about 2 dozen of them so they’d go fast. Made it a point to get down there as early as I possibly could so I was in the door by about 1:30 and low and behold I was able to get my hands on one.
Coppertail has this unique bottle art that is a mix of avant garde and nautical themes and their Oktoberfest mug/bottle art is just as kitschy. How can you not find a droopy-eyed, mustachioed octopus in lederhosen cool?
Mug purchase included one free fill and discounts on subsequent fills all day and this year’s marzen was rather impressive to boot. Sweet and malty with just a slightly hoppy kick at the end. Well worth the trip, mug or not.
Tried Coppertail’s Oktoberfest? Leave a message in the comments!
And remember… the food abides…
Tampa Food Dude 