Alheira Croquette

These little morsels, are some of my favorite to make for my family. Very simple to put together, with very few ingredients, Alheira sausage, some Panko, eggs and flour. Alheira is a wonderful portuguese smoked sausage, with a very soft interior, almost like a bread stuffing. It is traditionally made with poultry or wild game, bread filling and spices. It is a historical food, as it " was invented by the Jews of Portugal, who were forced to convert to Christianity, as a way to deceive the Portuguese Inquisition. As the Jews weren't allowed by their religion to eat pork meat, they were very easily identifiable by the fact that they didn't prepare and smoke the common pork sausages in the smokehouses (fumeiros in Portuguese). They, therefore, replaced pork with a large variety of other meats, such as poultry and game, which would then be mixed with a bread dough for consistency."    They are one of our favorites, and I always have them in my fridge. These croquettes, are crispy crunchy on the outside,  and soft and tender on the inside, I think of them as a savory truffle. I like them as an appetizer, but they also make a great meal served with some rice, a fried egg and a salad.

2 alheiras
2 eggs, beaten
Flour
 Panko or breadcrumbs

Oil for frying

Remove the skin from the sausages.  In a bowl knead the filling, taking care to remove any bones that you may find. Scoop small portions and shape into balls, then dredge the balls in the flour ,  dip in the egg and then coat with the Panko or breadcrumbs.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add enough oil to cover the croquettes when frying, heat until shimmering. Fry the croquettes in batches, turning often, until crisp. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.



***To prevent the croquettes from "bursting" while frying, the oil should be hot and the balls shouldn’t be very large.