Croquettes of couscous Martino with tuna, cannellini beans and cumin

Croquettes have almost universal appeal, because who doesn’t like crispy, salty, delicious fried things? The filling can be adapted, which means these recipes are great for using up scraps of (still good) meat, seafood and vegetables in the fridge or leftover– just use common sense when combining the ingredients.

So, if you are preparing a gathering for your friend- young or old ones – these easy tuna and beans croquettes will save the day and delight everyone invited. The recipe is simple yet delicious: the couscous combined with tuna and beans mixes up with the creamy cheese while the cumin seeds add a special to everything.  
Gather the ingredients and let’s prepare these small, mouth-watering couscous balls.

Receipe by Simona Novarini

 

Portions: 22-24 Croquettes
Preparation: 10 minutes
Baking: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 100 ml of water
• 100 grams of Martino Corn Couscous
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 100 grams of natural tuna
• 100 grams of pre-cooked cannellini beans
• 100 grams of cream fresh cheese
• 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
• salt as needed
• cumin seeds

Directions:

Hydrate the couscous:
As always use a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, pour 100 ml of water and one teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, pour 100 grams of Martino Corn couscous making sure you are spreading it evenly. Cover with a lid and set aside for about 4-5 minutes.

Once the couscous is fully hydrated and has absorbed all the water, drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top and fluff it with the help of a fork. This will remove any lumps and separate the delicate grains without crushing them to give the couscous a light, fluffy texture.

Prepare the mixture:
When the couscous is well hydrated, transfer it into a mixing bowl and add the drained natural tuna and beans.  Add 100 grams of cream cheese, a pinch of salt, the breadcrumbs, and one teaspoon of cumin seeds. Mix everything well with a wooden spoon until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.

Knead the mixture:
It’s time to give shape to your croquettes. Take small amounts of the mixture and shape it with your palms to create balls. Place each ball on a baking tray lined with a parchment paper and make sure to press gently with your fingers to flatten them. Before baking, sprinkle the croquettes with cumin seeds on top.

Baking:  
Place the baking tray in a preheated oven at 180°C and bake for about 20 minutes. Turn your oven to grill and bake for 5 more minutes. The delicious croquettes will become crispy on the outside but remain soft on the inside! When they gain a golden – light brown color remove from the oven and serve warm.

Variations:
You can use almost any type of filling for these couscous croquettes. You can substitute tuna for salmon, ground meat (veal, beef, chicken, or turkey), shellfish, cheese, or vegetables.

Serving:
According to your filling, you can serve the croquettes with different sauces and dips: melted cheddar dip, barbecue dip, spicy pepper sauce, cooling cucumber dips, yogurt, mayonnaise or even garlic butter sauce. Make sure to serve them while they are still warm and the cheese is melting! But if you decide to serve them cold you can toss them on top of fresh green salad leaves marinated with lime and extra virgin olive oil!

The croquettes are a delicious crispy comfort food that you can cook with almost all your favorite ingredients. It is perfect for repurposing leftovers from the previous day and they are so easy to make they will save you tons of time. If you are looking for more delicious couscous snacks like this one, subscribe to our newsletter and get them directly in your inbox.

Hosting a light dinner party? Are you preparing for a movie night? Or maybe a weekend barbecue in the garden? If yes, then these delicious crispy couscous croquettes with tuna are going to be the perfect snack. Wash it down with a glass of cold beer and enjoy your time with friends and family. But most importantly don’t forget to leave us a comment to tell us your favorite variation of the croquettes filling and your favorite dips to accompany them with.