Cheesy Quinoa Croquettes

📝 Ingredients

• 150 g quinoa
• 2 eggs
• 60 g grated Emmental
• 40 g breadcrumbs
• 15 g fresh chives
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150 g plain skyr
• ½ lemon
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Saucepan
• Fine sieve
• Mixing bowl
• Baking sheet + parchment paper
• Spatula
• Bowl

📖 Steps

1. Rinse the quinoa in the fine sieve under cold water to remove its bitterness. Cook it for 12 minutes in a pan of salted boiling water, until the grains are tender and a small white thread appears. Drain, pressing with a spoon.
2. Spread the quinoa out in the mixing bowl and leave to cool for 15 minutes, fluffing it with a fork: if still wet or piping hot, it would make croquettes that fall apart during cooking.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 °C. Finely snip the chives, keeping 1 tbsp for the sauce, and chop the garlic. Line the baking tray with baking paper and grease it with half the oil, spreading it with your fingertips.
4. Crack the eggs over the cooled quinoa, add the Emmental, breadcrumbs, garlic and chives, season lightly with salt and add pepper. Mix well: the mixture should hold together when squeezed in your hand. If it's too wet, leave it to rest for 10 minutes and the breadcrumbs will absorb the excess.
5. With slightly wet hands, shape 12 compact oval croquettes about 2 cm thick, pressing them firmly. Place them on the tray and brush the tops with the remaining oil.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, carefully turning the croquettes with a spatula after 12 minutes, until nicely golden on both sides and firm to the touch.
7. While they bake, make the sauce in the bowl: mix the skyr with the juice of the ½ lemon, the reserved chives, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Keep in the fridge until you head out.
8. Leave the croquettes to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before lifting them off: they firm up as they cool. Pack them in a container with the sauce separately, and eat them cold, 3 per person.