Potato Cutlets Stuffed with Mushrooms

Potato Cutlets Stuffed with Mushrooms

Germany's varied landscapes result in different key crops according to geography, for example, apples, pears, cherries, and peaches are common fruit crops and vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, asparagus and beets are grown in most house gardens.  But grapes for wine production are imported crops from Southern Germany.  Tomatoes are also best grown in the South.  German cultures mostly focus on healthy eating and festival foods allow season departures for a short celebratory time. 

These stuffed cutlets are sometimes called croquettes or Kartofelin Zrazy in Russian-German.

 I have "veganized" the recipe with a Flax Egg-- whisking 1 T. finely ground flax seed with 3 T water= 1 vegan egg and a recipe for a quick vegan sunflower seed sour cream HERE.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 large Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
• Kosher salt, to taste (for boiling)
• 1 Flax Egg 
• 1 T. All-Purpose Flour
• Freshly ground Pepper (optional)
• 16 oz. Mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 1 large Onion, diced
• 2 T. Grapeseed or Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. each of the following: Dried Parsley, Salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground Pepper
• 4-5 T. Corn Meal
• Garnish with Sour Cream or vegan Sunny Sour Cream, freshly chopped Chives

METHOD:

1. Put potato pieces in a large pot, cover with 3 inches of generously-salted water
2. Bring potatoes to a boil over Medium-High heat.  Reduce the heat to Medium-Low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (about 15 minutes)
3. Meanwhile, make the stuffing for the mushrooms: In a large sauté pan over high heat, warm the grapeseed (or olive) oil.
4. Add the mushrooms and onion.  Season with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, dried parsley, and cook, stirring until browned-- 4-5 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.
5. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and put them back in the hot, empty pot to let them steam off until they look powdery and dry.  Let them cool.
6. Mash the cooled potatoes with a food mill, ricer, or potato masher.
7. Add the flax egg, stirring constantly.  Then add flour and stir just until potatoes are smooth.  Adjust salt and pepper.
8. On a cutting board lightly coated with corn meal, place about 2-3 T. of potato mixture.  Make a flat disk.  Place about 2 tsp. of the mushroom stuffing on the middle of the potato.  Using 2 hands, folds ends up to completely cover the mushrooms.
9. Roll the cutlet in corn meal until coated. 
10. Repeat the process with the remaining potato and mushrooms.
11. Heat oil in the frying pan.
12. Gently place the cutlets in the frying pan. (alternatively: Air Fry directions follow)  When one side has become golden, (about 3 minutes), turn gently to fry the other side.  
13. Air fry instead of pan fry: Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes at 385F/200C  Remove the basket and either wipe lightly with oil (wear gloves- be careful not to be burned) or spray lightly. Arrange cutlets without overlapping (they can touch a bit) and let them cook about 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket every 4 minutes or flipping them at the half-way time. Different air fryers will have different air-fry times. Frozen cutlets require about another 3 minutes but do not have to be thawed to be air fryed. 
14. Repeat with all cutlets.
15. Serve with sour cream or sunny sour cream, and fresh chives. Delicious served with sauerkraut or pickled red cabbage, and portobello mushroom schnitzel.
16. Can be served immediately or frozen before frying on a cookie sheet and then put in freezer baggies for use later.

So, you would like to plant a really successful crop of potatoes this year? You want some tips and advice about how to plant a sure-fire organic crop of spuds? <--go here