Recipe

July 10, 2024

Ask A Chef: Coulson Armstrong Shares The Rutabaga Croquette Recipe From Matty Matheson’s Prime Seafood Palace

Recipe: Coulson Armstrong

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Q: “I recently ate at Matty Matheson’s Prime Seafood Palace in Toronto and had the amazing Rutabaga Croquettes. Can you get me the recipe?” — KYLE, Brockville, Ont.

A: Executive chef Coulson Armstrong (pictured, left) has created a twist on the classic Spanish cheese croquette using rutabaga. With its playful doughnut styling, this dish is fun to eat — and it’s delicious. “The rutabaga has an earthy flavour that combines with the cheesy béchamel, then we top it with a plum glaze and aromatic rosemary crumb,” says Coulson. Yes, that’s the same Matty Matheson you recognize from The Bear!

Ingredients

Béchamel

  • 1 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 2/3 cup yellow onion, small diced
  • 1 tbsp thyme leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Rutabaga filling

  • 6 cups rutabaga
  • 2 1/2 cups Béchamel (see above)
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup yellow onion, small diced
  • 1/3 cup aged cheddar, grated

Breading

  • 4 cups panko
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 eggs

Plum Glaze

  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1/3 cup plum syrup
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp agar-agar

Rosemary Crumb

  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 1/4 cup chives, thinly chopped
  • 15 cracks freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp MSG
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Yield: Makes 12 Croquettes

Make Béchamel

  1. To small saucepan over medium heat add milk and salt. Once it begins to steam, add onion, thyme and garlic, and allow to steep for 40 minutes. Strain and set aside.
  2. In large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Continue to whisk and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add prepared steeped milk to roux and whisk, until fully combined and smooth. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring consistently. Set aside.

Make Rutabaga Filling

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel and small dice rutabaga. Toss in oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until it’s golden.
  2. In large stand mixer using paddle attachment, mix Béchamel, brown sugar, rutabaga, onion and cheese, until fully incorporated. Put mixture into piping bags and pipe into silicone ring moulds. Place filled moulds in freezer and freeze completely, about 12 hours or overnight.

Make Breading

  1. In blender, blitz panko crumbs on level 3, until smooth.
  2. In large bowl, combine flour, blitzed panko and eggs. Set aside.

Make Plum Glaze

  1. To medium saucepan, add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth.
  2. Pour onto flat tray and allow to set in fridge for 2 hours. Then, pour into blender and blend until smooth. Add small amount of water until consistency of jam is reached.

Make Rosemary Crumb

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Over gas stove or with lighter, toast rosemary on stem until it catches fire. Blow out flame. Place sprigs on baking sheet and roast for 7 to 10 minutes, until dry. Remove from oven and let cool. Pick leaves off stem and finely chop.
  2. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients and set aside.

Make Croquettes

  1. To large pot, add 4 litres of canola oil and heat to 350°F. Put Plum Glaze and Rosemary Crumb in separate, low-sided bowls.
  2. Remove rutabaga from freezer moulds and, working in batches, fry 4 at a time for 2 minutes, until golden brown.
  3. Remove from oil, place fried croquettes on paper towel–lined baking sheet, season with salt and dip top half in Plum Glaze like an iced doughnut followed by Rosemary Crumb. Repeat with remaining rutabaga. Serve immediately.
Author: Alexandra Whyte
Photographer:

Photography by Sid Tang (Coulson’s portrait)/Aaron Wynia (Matty’s portrait)/Daniel Neuhaus (croquettes)

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