This Italian Dish Is A Childhood Favorite Of Stanley Tucci's

Stanley Tucci is famous for his acting, but nowadays, his deep love of cooking is just as well-known. After all, he hosts a travel food series and has written multiple culinary books. While Tucci doesn't believe he has a favorite food — he told Good Morning America "there's no such thing" — Tucci referred to his mom's Italian potato croquettes as "my favorite" in an Instagram video of them cooking together.

"My mother always made these ... We always had them probably before dinner," Tucci's mom, Joan Tucci, explains, adding that croquettes were "always" one of her son's favorites. She adds beaten egg and grated pecorino Romano cheese to a bowl of mashed, boiled potato. Next, she adds flour for binding. "It's hard to get proportions, because you don't really know; you have to feel it," she says of the rustic dish while mixing in breadcrumbs by hand for more structure. Finally, the Tuccis form the mixture into "cigar-shaped" logs and pan-fry them in oil until browned and crisp.

Potato croquettes are a popular Italian street food. You can freshly steam or boil potatoes to make them, although it's an amazing way to use up leftover mashed potatoes (FYI, Tucci adds olive oil and egg yolk for the best mashed potatoes). The Tuccis didn't say what type of potatoes they use, but many suggest a mealy variety that doesn't retain too much water and turns airy when mashed, like russets.

Called panzerotti di patate, crocchette di patate, crocchè, or cazzilli, depending on the region, Italian potato croquettes hail from Sicily. They were invented as an evolution of French croquettes after potatoes first came to Italy in the 1600s. They're traditionally deep-fried, but some, like Stanley Tucci, prefer them pan-fried or baked. Some croquettes contain meat or seafood, like prosciutto or anchovy. In Naples, they're often filled with cheese. Some chefs rice the potatoes instead of mashing them for a supremely smooth texture. You can also add salt and pepper to taste or fresh herbs.

Fans found Tucci's video heartwarming. "Your mom is awesome and those potato croquettes look pretty good!" commented one Instagram user. "My mom and I make them into flat patties, so good," wrote another. "I just love the bond with you and your mom. Nothing like cooking together that makes the family stronger," added another.

If you want to try croquettes without preparing them from scratch, your best bet is an Italian specialty market. They aren't ubiquitous in supermarkets, at least not the Italian kind. Plus, many substitutes feature different ingredients, like goat cheese or onion. So, you'll need to make them at home like the Tuccis or go straight to an authentic source to taste the real thing.