Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes with Dijon Glaze

I have been wanting to try these for a while and had the opportunity last week when my parents came to our house for dinner. They just looked really yummy. And it was something pretty different which is always fun.

2 cups black-eyed peas, soaked overnight in water to cover
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (I despise cilantro so never put it in anything)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups safflower oil for frying (I actually just used vegetable oil this time....cheaper)

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup barley malt syrup or brown rice syrup (I used barley malt)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Drain soaked beans and transfer to a food processor. Add parsley or cilantro, salt, shoyu, and cumin. Blend until beans are chopped to fine shreds, but not pulpy. Mixture will be slightly wet but should hold together (if it doesn't, blend for a bit longer). Form into oval ball type shapes. LOL

Deep fry for about 4 minutes on each side....funny story - I filled the pot too full with oil (neglected to read the 2 cups part) and heated it for too long (not recommended) so when Brent put the first croquette in the oil boiled over and splashed on the burner. This resulted in a not so lovely flame about 1 foot high.....Brent spilled hot oil on his leg (via his pymamas) trying to figure out what to do with the pot. The croquette had burned in about 3 seconds (no word of a lie)....we got the fire out and the pot on a potholder on the counter (I'll post a photo some time of the oven mitt. lol) and started again. Oh my - what a gongshow....and of course, my parents arrived about 3 minutes after the whole episode....thank goodness for windows and fans....

I did not love this recipe, or really even like it all that much. My parents thought they were good though, but Brent was on my side. A friend who was over for dinner thought they were *okay* - and better without the sauce....interesting....I was totally disappointed only because I had such high expectations. Though I wonder if they could be made with other beans (I LOVE black beans). I don't really deep fry very often so I don't know that I'll really try it, but it does make me curious..

SERIOUSLY SCRUMPTIOUS RATING: 2.5 STARS