Beef croquette (or ”Järpar” in Swedish) is a common autumn dish in Scandinavia. Traditionally you use ground beef, but it’s also very common with lamb, veal or chicken. When you grow up in Sweden, I’m 100% sure you have been served Beef croquettes for lunch in school. We normally serve the croquettes with mashed potatoes, a creamy sauce and lingonberry. I have added a little bit extra to this traditional meal, I am filling the beef croquette with feta cheese and fresh parsley, serving them with grilled mini potatoes, sugar snap peas and a delicious creamy sauce to the beef croquettes.
Ingredients (4 pers.):
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
- 5 tbsp (2 oz) Feta cheese
- 5 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 4 tbsp butter
- 30 mini potatoes
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 10-12 oz sugar snap peas
Creamy sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk / cream
- 2/3 cup gravy from the beef croquettes
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- pinch of salt and fresh black pepper
Wash the mini potatoes and cut them in half or preferred size. Place them on an oven tray covered with parchment paper. Pour over the olive oil and season with salt and thyme. Grill in the oven on 400°F for approximately 20-25 minutes. Turn the potatoes around a couple of times during the oven time.
Add the ground beef into a bowl. Add one egg, thyme, salt and black pepper and mix it together using your hands or a fork. Shape the mixture to 8 to 12 egg shaped beef croquettes and place them on a cutting board. Form an opening in the middle where 1/2 tbsp Feta cheese and chopped fresh parsley are place. Closed the opening of the croquette again. Repeat for all beef croquettes. Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the butter. Fry the croquette, not all together at once, on all sides for a couple of minutes. Now place the fried croquettes in an ovenware. Pour over the gravy. Bake until ready in the oven on 400°F for approximately 15 minutes.
Now pour the rest of the gravy from the beef croquettes into a bowl. Heat a sauce pan to medium heat and melt the butter. Take the pan from the heat and add the flour. Stir it quick together. Now add the gravy and place the sauce pan bake on the medium heat. Continue to stir. Add the milk/cream. Let it reach boil temperature again while stirring. Let the sauce boil on medium temperature for 5 minutes. Season the sauce with soy sauce, salt and black pepper.
Wash the sugar snap peas and cut off the hard ends. Boil in salty water on medium heat for approximately 3-5 minutes.
Ready to serve. Smaklig måltid!
Scandinavian Simple Eating 