Click here to read the Spanish version.
It all started at a concert in Las Vegas in which Adele, beyond sharing her songs with her fans, wanted to express her obsession with the ham and cheese croquettes at République, a fine dining restaurant in Los Angeles. This declaration and/or instant went viral and had a huge impact on the internet. ‘I just had the best ham and cheese croquette I’ve ever had.’
Tasting Table wanted to find out what was so special about these croquettes, and interviewed Walter Manzke, République’s award-winning chef, to explain the process, key ingredients and technique.
And there is an essential element that gives this dish an exceptional touch. And that is the pork leg. The chef said that it all came about after the team didn’t know what to do with that particular pork product.
Manzke thought they should use as many cuts as possible so as not to waste food, and decided to include it in the croquette with a pork meat cured in ham, Comté de France cheese and bound with béchamel sauce. He added the big innovative touch: a seasonal tomato sauce that the chef selected from sungold tomatoes to create a kind of tomato whipped cream that he served to the croquettes that Adele ate.
