Cazzilli: The Street-Food Potato Croquettes of Palermo

Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks. Cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until completely tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a ricer or food mill into a large bowl. Do not use a masher — it will make the texture gluey.

Spread the riced potato onto a clean baking sheet or wide plate and leave for 5 minutes to let steam escape. The drier the mash, the better the croquettes.

Tear the mint leaves roughly and fold them into the warm potato along with the egg, salt, and black pepper. If using pecorino or parmesan, add it now. Mix until just combined — do not overwork.

Dampen your hands lightly with water or oil them. Take about 40 g of the mixture and roll it between your palms into a smooth cylinder roughly 7 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. Seal any cracks by smoothing them over — cracks let oil penetrate the interior. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Pour the oil into a deep, heavy saucepan to a depth of at least 8 cm. Heat over medium-high to 175–180 °C. Use a thermometer; guessing is how batches go wrong.

Fry the cazzilli in batches of four or five — no more, or the oil temperature drops and the croquettes turn greasy. Turn them gently with a spider or slotted spoon after about 90 seconds, once the underside is deep golden.

Fry for a total of 3–4 minutes per batch until evenly golden all over. Lift out with a spider and drain briefly on a wire rack or paper towel.

Serve immediately. Cazzilli are street food — eat them while they are hot and the crust still shatters.