I love the way this millet looks and smells. Beautiful fluffy millet, mixed with a rainbow of vegetables, and the secret scent of saffron. Yum!
But I have made some bad millet over the years. Too crunchy, not done. Eeeew. So I have discovered a way to perfect millet every time. I use a large skillet that has a cover so that the millet has a large surface area over which to toast!
Perfect Millet Every Time Cooking Method
(1 cup uncooked millet : 2 cups filtered water)
Heat the skillet over medium heat. Pour the cup of uncooked millet into the skillet and toast the millet for a few minutes, mixing it around a bit, until it is fragrant and getting brown. But don’t walk away, millet burns easily so watch it! Pour in the water, bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the water is absorbed. When the water is absorbed, turn the flame off and let the millet sit covered for a few minutes. Then fluff with a fork.
Now to today’s rainbow vegetable saffron croquettes. Just so yum! The outside gets crispy and the inside stays soft. In love with this creation! Today, I served these alongside a salad of chopped Romaine with a light dressing made with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
To make these croquettes for an appetizer, make 12 croquettes using a 3 tablespoon ice cream scooper!
Makes about 4 cups / 6 croquettes
1/2 red onion
1 clove of garlic
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 zucchini
Big pinch of saffron
1 cup uncooked millet
2 cups filtered water
Pinch of salt
High heat oil for sautéing the croquettes
Cook according to the Perfect Millet Every Time Cooking Method adding the saffron when it’s time to reduce the millet to a simmer. Crush the saffron in your palm and drop it into the millet.
In the meantime, organize your mise en place: dice the vegetables and mince the garlic. Water or oil sauté the vegetables until they are soft, starting with the onion, adding the garlic and a pinch of salt, then the carrot and parsnip and lastly the zucchini. Only cook the mixture for a few minutes more so that the zucchini stays bright green.
Mix the vegetables into the millet. Stop here to enjoy as a side or main dish.
To make the croquettes, place the vegetable millet mixture into the food processor and let it rip until the vegetables are finely processed. Form six equal sized croquettes. Heat up a non-stick skillet and add a small amount of oil (like one turn of the pan.) Cook until the first side is nicely browned. Flip carefully and cook the second side. Let the croquettes rest on a towel to drain the excess oil and then serve. Enjoy!
