A Foolproof Recipe for Korokke

There are dishes we cook, and then there are dishes we cook toward. These are the meals that follow us in memory — sometimes annoyingly, sometimes enticingly — after we’ve washed the dishes, or the next morning over coffee, a quick flickering before we’re battered by the day. These recipes expand and command, growing right beside us. They’re like the idea of home.

Lately, my home has been built from korokke. The dish is a Japanese iteration of the French croquette: a patty of mashed potatoes, simmered vegetables and protein. That mixture is molded into a mass, pending the mounds are breaded and fried to crisp, golden perfection. In ‘‘Japanese Soul Cooking,’’ Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat note, ‘‘While easy to cook at home, korokke in Japan are also commonly sold from stalls and, especially, in butcher shops.’’

When making your own, you could opt for gyu korokke (beef croquettes). Or curry rice korokke, subbing out the potatoes entirely. Kani cream korokke binds crab meat with a béchamel sauce, coated and fried in little logs, perfect for bolting by the truckload. Or, well into your korokke journey, you could turn to its distant, meaty cousin, menchi katsu. No matter your route, korokke is a dish that goes alongside you; whether you’re looking to eat a little less meat, or perhaps trying to heed a date — or even conjuring a comforting meal for one.

Also Read: How to Make Indian Butter Chicken