Publications
1 Make a thick white sauce Melt 50 g butter in a small saucepan and sauté 60 ml finely chopped onion until glossy. Add 1 chopped garlic clove and fry. Gradually stir in 180 ml flour to form a roux and cook for 1 minute. Because of the large quantity of flour, the mixture will look almost like breadcrumbs. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in 250 ml hot milk and 250 ml hot stock until the sauce thickens. Put back on the heat and whisk for another few minutes until the sauce is really thick. Season with salt and pepper. If you have time, allow it to cool (at least 1 hour); this makes it easier to shape later.
2 Flavour the roux Add about 2 x 250 ml cups of flavourings to the thick white sauce. Try crispy bacon bits and a spoonful of mustard; finely chopped cooked meat (finely shredded leftover chicken works well); chopped cooked prawns with chillies and peas; crispy potato cubes seasoned with truffle oil and Parmesan or ham, corn kernels and diced cheese... whatever takes your fancy. For extra flavour, add chopped herbs and a pinch of nutmeg or citrus zest.
3 Shape the croquettes With wet hands, roll tablespoons of the cold white sauce into bite-sized sausages or balls. Make sure each one is the same size.
4 Crumb them Crush 1 packet (200g) savoury biscuits (such as Cream Crackers; or use dried breadcrumbs or Panko crumbs) in a food processor and then turn out into a bowl. Whisk 3 eggs in a second bowl. Dip each shaped croquette first in the crumbs, then in the egg and then in the crumbs again. Arrange on a plate until they’re all done.
5 Deep-fry Heat enough vegetable oil in a pot for deep-frying. Test the heat of the oil with a bit of bread: when it floats on the surface and browns within a few seconds, the oil is ready. (If you use a thermometer, 180°C is the perfect temperature.) Fry a few croquettes at a time until golden-brown. Drain on paper towels.
