Spicy “Chicken of the Sea” Potato Croquettes + The Great American Gratitude Tour

The famous Mermaid on the can of Chicken of the Sea is turning 100 this year.  Boy she doesn’t look a day over twenty nine. Wink. Smile. Seriously, the Chicken of the Sea brand is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year and is kicking it off by bringing the first ever Chicken of the Sea American Gratitude Tour.  It is a six month, 56-city journey across the country along with honor local non-profits and heroes who are making their communities great.

When companies give back it is one of the highest honors and gifts they can give as an organization in my opinion.  You can play a part in this philanthropic effort by nominating a deserving friend or non-profit organization for a $10,000 Gratitude Award.  Chicken of the Sea wants to pay it forward by investing $1 Million dollars in up to 100 public service minded individuals and non-profits across America.  Your nomination will recognize those special Americans who continue to “Ignite and Unite” with the priceless gift of community service and volunteerism.  Simply click here to nominate a worthy friend or group that is doing outstanding work in their community.

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Do you want to meet the newly named Mermaid, Catalina in person?  If so, she will be visiting the Bay Area between March 20^th and 23^rd at these locations:

• March 21^st (10am to 4pm) – Embarcadero Center – 4 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco
• March 22^nd (11am to 2pm) – Wal-Mart – 5095 Almaden Expressway in San Jose
• March 23^rd (6am to 1pm) – Oakland Running Festival – Snow Park (1901 Harrison Street) in Oakland

Just look for the vividly wrapped Great American Gratitude Truck and Vintage Airstream that are currently on tour.  Each event you can have your photo or video taken with the Mermaid, learn about the history of Chicken of the Sea and take home Mermaid themed giveaways.  Ten lucky visitors throughout the tour receiving the winning commemorative coin the Mermaid Treasure Chest promotion will instantly win $10,000 to use for the community service project of their choice.  I encourage you to stop by to meet the Mermaid or nominate a deserving person or group to win $10,000 for their great work.  If you want to learn more about Chicken of the Sea, click here. Stay abread of the tour by liking their Facebook Fan Page.

Hubby has been singing the Chicken of the Sea jingle for the last almost 17 years I have known him along with many other past and present brand jingles. He has quite the affinity for them. Smile. When the kind folks at Chicken of the Sea reached out to me to inquire if I would promote the upcoming tour and giving back campaign, it was an easy YES.  Being a fan of this brand, I also wanted to create a special recipe to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Chicken of the Sea brand.  After I dreamed up this recipe for Spicy “Chicken of the Sea” Potato Croquettes, hubby ran out to the store to pick up a few cans of Chicken of the Sea for me to whip up this Sunday afternoon snack.  It was super simple and super tasty.  Happy 100^th Anniversary Chicken of the Sea!

Spicy “Chicken of the Sea” Potato Croquettes

Makes about 22

2 Large Russet Potatoes

2 Tablespoons Butter (melted)

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

4 Scallions finely chopped (green and white portions)

1 (5 oz) Can Chicken of the Sea Tuna) packed in water

6 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese

¼ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Pepper

Dredging Ingredients:

2/3 Cup Flour

2 Large Eggs

2/3 Cup Panky Bread Crumbs

2 to 4 Cup Vegetable Oil for frying

Use a fork to poke holes around each potato to prevent exploding while cooking in the microwave.  Cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes or until potato is soft inside and remove from microwave.  Cut each potato in half lengthwise and let cool for 5 minutes.  Use a spoon to scoop out each half into a large bowl.  Break up with a fork and add the melted butter.  Use a spoon and whip together until smooth.  Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix. 

Next add the chopped scallions and parmesan cheese and stir together well.  Drain the tuna well and flake into the bowl and mix well with potato mixture. Scoop up a couple tablespoons of the mixture and form a mini log, similar to the size of a Madjool date.  Continue to form until all of the mixture is gone.

Use three separate bowls for the flour, egg and panky.  Dip each uncooked croquette in the flour and dust off excess. Then dredge into the whisked eggs and let drip off excess and cover with panky bread crumbs.  Complete the rest through the process.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to cook.

Heat 2 to 4 cups of vegetable oil in a medium cast iron skillet to 325 degrees.  Cook the croquettes in batches of 6 to 8.  Continue to flip until they are golden brown.  Preheat an oven to 300 degrees and place onto a cookie sheet to keep warm until all batches are complete.  Serve with Spicy Sriracha Dipping Sauce – Recipe below.

Spicy Sriracha Dipping Sauce

½ Cup Mayonnaise

2 Tablespoon Chives, finely minced

1 Tablespoon Sriracha

¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder

Add all of the above ingredients to a bowl and mix well.  Let sit in refrigerator for 15 minutes to let the flavors develop.  Serve with warm croquettes.

Disclosure:  Compensation was provided by Chicken of the Sea.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Chicken of the Sea.  A HUGE thank you for your visits and making my blog part of your day.