Wash the potatoes thoroughly and then boil them in salted water for about 25 minutes (they should be well cooked, “check” them with a fork). As soon as they have cooled, peel them and put them through a food mill or mash them in a bowl. Add the 2 eggs and mix well; then add the grated Parmigiano, a teaspoon of grated nutmeg, a pinch of salt, 2 spoonfuls of sieved flour and stir everything together well again. Using a spoon and your hand dusted with flour, shape the mixture into oval croquettes (about the size of a table tennis ball). Dip them, one at a time, into the remaining flour (which you have put in a bowl), eliminating any excess. As each one is ready, dip it in the breadcrumbs (prepared in another bowl) “shaking” them a little once again.

Heat a large frying pan at least half full of olive oil, approximately ½ litre (toss in a piece of bread to see if the oil is hot enough; it should start frying immediately). Using a wooden spoon, one at a time, put a few croquettes into the hot oil. They should turn a nice shade of brown on all sides; before turning them over, lower the heat for a few seconds to help them dry out inside, then increase the heat again and turn them over to fry on the other side. Drain the oil off the croquettes by placing them on a plate covered with kitchen paper, then sprinkle them with a pinch of salt. Decorate a serving dish with some lettuce leaves, arrange the croquettes on it and serve them.

Preparing this dish requires a little skill and patience (at least for coating the croquettes with breadcrumbs), if that’s not a problem for you, we suggest you give it a try. You’ll be rewarded with a delicious dish that we rarely get the chance of eating nowadays, even here in Tuscany. In fact these croquettes are a food of days gone by, made by grandmothers who, with minimal cost and plenty of ingenuity, managed to come up with tasty, nutritious delicacies to satisfy the appetites of their numerous and hungry families. They’re also good with an aperitif (in this case, prepare them in a smaller size), as an appetizer or as a main course accompanied by salad or boiled vegetables.