My Kitchen Rules: How to make Hannah and Lawrence’s Croquettes de Fromage with love

Croquettes de Fromage with Ginger Brussels Sprouts, Jamón and Jalapeño Aioli

Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins + refrigeration

Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Chopped chives, to garnish

Croquettes

• 1 litre milk
• ½ brown onion
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 125g unsalted butter
• 125g plain flour
• 100g aged Dutch gouda, grated
• 55g cheddar cheese, grated
• 230g gruyere cheese, grated
• 2 egg yolks
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 loaf day-old white bread, coarsely chopped
• 5 egg whites
• 100ml water
• beef tallow, for deep frying

Gingery Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

• 100g sliced jamon
• 1 ½ tbs sunflower oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 1 tbs maple syrup
• 12 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced on a mandolin or processor
• 2cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 eschallot, thinly sliced
• 150g pine nuts, toasted

Aioli

• 250ml olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tbs pickled Jalapeños, drained

Method

1 To make croquettes, place milk, onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and half the nutmeg in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside to cool and infuse. Strain and discard solids.

2 Lightly grease a 2-litre tray or dish.

3 Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture bubbles. Gradually whisk in infused milk, little by little, to form a sauce. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes.

4 Remove from heat. Whisk in gouda, cheddar and half the gruyere cheese until smooth, melted and combined. Whisk in egg yolks. Season with pepper and remaining nutmeg. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm (this will make it easier to roll).

5 Preheat oven to 180C.

6 Meanwhile, to make Brussels sprout salad, place jamon on an oven tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely. Tear into pieces.

7 Whisk oils, juice and syrup in a large bowl to combine. Season. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow sprouts to soften and flavours to meld.

8 To make aioli, place oil and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat until hot. Remove from heat and set aside to cool and infuse. Remove and reserve garlic with a slotted spoon.

9 Process egg yolk, juice and mustard until smooth. With motor operating, drizzle in oil until thick and smooth. Add jalapenos and reserved garlic. Process until smooth. Season.

10 Reduce oven to 150C.

11 To continue making croquettes, arrange bread on an oven tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until dried and lightly crisp, but not browned. Cool completely. Process bread in small batches to form coarse crumbs. Transfer to a shallow bowl.

12 Lightly whisk egg whites and the water in a small deep bowl to combine. Season.

13 Place a tablespoon of croquette mixture into the palm of your hand and lightly flatten. Add a sprinkling of the remaining gruyere cheese. Fold in sides to enclose cheese and roll into a ball. Dip in egg white mixture and allow excess to drip off. Roll in breadcrumbs. Place on a tray in a single layer. Repeat with the remaining croquette mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

14 Place beef tallow in a large deep saucepan or deep fryer and heat to 170C. Line a cooling rack with kitchen paper.

15 Working in batches, add a croquette to the fryer with a slotted spoon and hold in the oil for 20 seconds to form a light crust, before releasing into the oil (this will prevent it sticking to the fryer basket). Fry until dark golden, crisp and heated through. Drain on prepared rack. Season with salt.

16 Preheat oven to 180C.

17 Serve croquettes with Brussels sprout salad. Top with aioli and jamon and garnish with chives.