Cauliflower croquettes

Upgrade a comfort classic into a modern snack to nibble during drinks with friends. These delicious deep-fried cauliflower croquettes are seriously addictive

Prep:25 mins
Cook:20 mins
plus chilling

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 155
fat 9g
saturates 3g
carbs 12g
sugars 2g
fibre 1g
protein 5g
salt 0.23g

Ingredients

½ cauliflower, chopped into florets
200ml milk
6 tbsp plain flour
25g butter
50g strong cheddar, grated
50g dried breadcrumbs (see tip)
25g Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated
1 egg, beaten
oil, for deep frying and brushing

Tip

Breadcrumbs

We used coarse dried breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs also work well. If you can only get the very fine breadcrumbs you will need an extra egg and double the amount of breadcrumbs so that you can repeat the egg and breadcrumb step for a second time, to ensure the croquettes are well coated.

Method

Put the cauliflower florets into a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Bring up to the boil and cook for 5 mins or until tender. Drain really well then allow to cool. Once cold enough to handle chop them up into small pieces and set aside.
Pour the milk into a saucepan with half the flour and add the butter. Whisk together and slowly bring to the boil mixing all the time, until smooth and thick. Add the cooked cauliflower and the cheddar and mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave to cool in the pan.
Once the cauliflower mixture has cooled spread it out on a large sheet of oiled cling film. Roll into a long sausage shape and wrap tightly in the cling film. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Tip the remaining flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper. On another plate mix together the breadcrumbs and the parmesan then put the bowl of beaten egg next to it. Unwrap the cauliflower filling and cut or pinch off 12 short lengths and roll into small sausage shapes to form the inside of the croquettes – it’s a good idea to put a little oil on your hands as the mixture is quite sticky. Put each one into the flour first and roll them to coat. Next dip them in the egg followed by the parmesan crumbs. Half-fill a medium sized saucepan with the oil and heat until the oil reaches 180C (you can also do this in a deep-fat fryer). If you can’t measure the temperature, a piece of bread should sizzle and turn golden in 15-20 seconds.
Deep fry 3 or 4 croquettes at a time in the oil, lifting out once golden brown using a slotted spoon. Leave them to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper until all the croquettes are fried.