As I noted in my Broiled Cod with Honey Ginger Black Bean Sauce recipe, that sauce was essentially a bi-product of having an overabundance of black beans beans and needing to find a fun way to use them. Well, here’s the main event for all those beans! We had our Cinco de Mayo (or more aptly named, Ocho de Mayo) party at work today, and part of the celebration involved a potluck! I wanted to make something that built upon Mexican flavours but had a distinctly “me” flair to it (Make Food Your Own!). So, I made this slightly smaller, slightly smoother textured cousin of Spicy Southwest Black Bean Burgers.
These can be baked or fried based on your preference, and while they’re good on their own, they would be excellent over a bed of wilted greens or as a side for bbq pork or chicken! They’d likely even be good for a Mexican style falafel sandwich…or black bean sliders!
Time: 2 Hours (although, most of this is “waiting time,” and you can do some steps days in advance to cut down the cooking time if you’re serving these on a weeknight).
Ingredients: (to make about 12 Croquettes)
- For the Croquettes:
- Black Beans – 1 can
- Frozen Corn
- Seasonings. I used Cumin, Chipotle Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Chili Powder, and Paprika.
- 1 Egg
- Bread Crumbs
- For the Aioli
- Mayonnaise
- Jalapenos
- Lime
Method:
- Open your beans and strain your beans to remove the can water.
- Put your beans in a food processor, and turn them into a glorious paste. You can also do this by hand or with a masher, but this is the most effective/efficient/fun way to do it.
- Pour your bean paste into a large bowl, and add in your corn and seasonings. Stir to combine fully. Depending on how liquidy your mix is, you may need to stir in some bread crumbs so that it is able to hold its shape when you form it into the croquettes.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and then form your croquettes into little balls. Place them in lines on the sheet, and then give each a little press on top to flatten them on top and bottom (will make breading them easier). I used a tablespoon measuring spoon to keep them fairly uniform.
- Stash the baking sheet in the freezer for anywhere until the croquettes are frozen (about 1-2 hours…but you can keep them in there overnight, and pull them out when you’re ready to cook them).
- When you’re ready to bread the croquettes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, crack and beat an egg into a bowl, and pour some bread crumbs into a second bowl.
- Working one by one, egg wash and bread each croquette, and replace it on the baking sheet (using the same parchment paper is easy and creates less garbage). You can either freeze these again for a future use, or you can cook them!
- To cook, just put the baking sheet in your hot oven for about 15 minutes, then flip your croquettes, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. They are done when they’re nice and crispy on the outside and hot on the inside. They should start to turn golden. Alternatively, you can fry them.
- While the croquettes are in the oven, turn your attention to your sauce (if making)
- Dice up some jalapenos (including or excluding seeds based on your desire for heat), and place them into your ninja/blender/food processor, and give them a whirl.
- Add a little lime juice, and blend again. Keep adding lime juice little by little until it is enough to completely liquify the jalapeno when blending.
- Mix this jalapeno/lime concoction with mayo, and stir to combine. Play with the relative amounts of each to suit your taste!
- Plate, Devour, and Enjoy!
