Auburn Angel’s seafood croquettes put a sophisticated spin on a Southern classic

We have enjoyed the seafood croquettes at Auburn Angel and would love to try our hand at making them at home.

— Stephanie Taylor, Atlanta

Robert Butts, executive chef and co-owner of Auburn Angel, provided the recipe for these croquettes, which are based on the salmon croquettes he ate as a child. “My mom loved to make old-school Southern salmon croquettes and we would eat them every weekend morning. I can smell the aroma to this day. With my training in French cooking, I put my own spin on her recipe. I think people love it because it tastes like home.”

The recipe calls for shrimp, crab and fish. At the restaurant, they use whitefish, but Butts suggests they can be made with whatever fish you prefer. An appetizer serving is two croquettes plated with basil tartar sauce and hot sauce. In the photo, they’re also garnished with a green tomato aioli.

Butts suggests the cakes can be shaped ahead of time through the stage of coating them in flour, egg and panko and then frozen. When ready to serve, the croquettes can go directly from the freezer to the hot oil.

Auburn Angel’s Seafood Croquettes

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for frying, divided
• 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 ounces raw shrimp chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 ounces raw fish chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 ounces crab claw meat (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 1/2 cups panko, divided
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun seasoning, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste
• 2 eggs, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Slivered green onions, for garnish
• Basil Tartar Sauce (see recipe) and hot sauce, for serving

1. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and garlic and cook until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Do not wash out skillet.
2. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add shrimp and fish and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until shrimp and fish are cooked through. Remove from heat, allow to cool, then combine seafood mixture with cooked onions and pepper.
3. Stir in crab, 1 1/2 cups panko, lemon juice, cilantro, Creole or Cajun seasoning and pepper. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and more Creole seasoning, if desired.
4. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg and stir into seafood mixture.
5. Heat 2 inches oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place next to cooktop.
6. Put flour in a pie plate. Put remaining egg in a second pie plate and beat. Put remaining 1 cup panko in a third pie plate. 
7. Form the seafood mixture into 1/2-cup croquettes and dip each croquette first in flour, coating all sides and shaking off excess flour, then into egg and then into panko. Put coated croquettes on a plate and continue until all croquettes are formed.
8. Use a slotted spoon to carefully lower croquettes into hot oil. Working in batches if necessary, fry croquettes until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Move browned croquettes to paper towel-lined baking sheet.
9. Serve hot with basil tartar sauce and hot sauce. Garnish with slivered green onions.

Makes 6.

Per serving, with 1/2 teaspoon salt and no tartar sauce: 409 calories (percent of calories from fat, 31), 17 grams protein, 53 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 14 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 99 milligrams cholesterol, 1,074 milligrams sodium.

Basil Tartar Sauce

• 3/4 cup chopped dill pickles or dill pickle relish
• 1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon chopped dill
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt