croquette

American  

[kroh-ket] / kroʊˈkɛt /

noun

1. a small cake or ball of minced meat, poultry, or fish, or of rice, potato, or other food, often coated with beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in deep fat.

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croquette British  

/ krɒ-, krəʊˈkɛt /

noun

1. a savoury cake of minced meat, fish, etc, fried in breadcrumbs

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Etymology

Origin of croquette

First recorded in 1700–10; from French, equivalent to croqu(er) “to crunch” ( Old French crokier “to break,” of expressive origin) + -ette diminutive suffix; see origin at -ette

Explanation

A croquette is a savory, breaded patty that can be made of meat or vegetables and is usually fried. You might use up leftover mashed potatoes by making croquettes. Almost every country's cuisine has some version of a croquette, a ball, patty, or cylinder of food that's mashed together, rolled in breadcrumbs, and baked or fried. You might eat beef croquettes in Brazil, or plantain and black bean croquettes in Mexico. The word itself, croquette, is French — it comes from croquer, "to crunch," plus the suffix ette, which usually signifies something little or cute.

Example Sentences

It was simply sublime, though the rabbit croquette was the best bite of the night.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2022

The roast dinner, with a courgette croquette as the vegetarian option, is popular with the children.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2022

The dinner menu lists small plates like chicken karaage, sashimi, chawanmushi, fried oysters, and potato croquette with black truffles.

From New York Times • Sep. 28, 2021

It can be overwhelming for first-timers, but the counterperson stands by absolutely cheerfully with a basket for your choices: maybe curry croquette, caprese or teriyaki chicken?

From Seattle Times • May 15, 2019

One evening when Eliot’s mother came to pick him up, Mrs. Sen served her a tuna croquette, explaining that it was really supposed to be made with a fish called bhetki.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri