Name: Trinity Korokke
Yield: Makes 8 to 12 croquettes
Ingredients: 1 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 celery stalks, diced; 1⁄2 yellow onion, diced; 1 small green bell pepper, diced; 1 tsp. fine sea salt; 1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups panko bread crumbs; 2 eggs; 1 Tbsp. Kewpie mayonnaise; 2 Tbsp. milk, any kind; 1 cup shredded mozzarella; 1⁄2 cup neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed, plus more as needed

Potato croquettes on a plate with katsu sauce on the side.

Photo by Ed Anderson

Korokke, potato croquettes that are a popular Japanese street food, are great as an appetizer or even for breakfast or brunch. I developed this recipe for NBCU Upfronts, a red-carpet event held at Radio City Music Hall that raises millions of dollars by showcasing the upcoming shows and selling the advertising space. Basically, all the network stars attend, and it is a preview of the next season of programming. My assignment was to create a one-or two-bite breakfast item that could be easily eaten on the red carpet. I intentionally wanted something that wouldn’t make a mess. Also, I had to consider that people would be eating these bites while getting interviewed. The Trinity Korokke was an overwhelming hit! Now that I don’t have to worry about celebs eating these on the red carpet without disturbing their makeup, I’ve made a few changes: I added diced bell pepper and onion to give the creamy mashed potatoes more texture, and mozzarella to create a gooey cheese pull.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Flavor+Us' by Rahanna Bisseret Martinez, one of the best cookbooks of 2023. Buy the full book on Amazon.