Triple-cheese croquettes with cranberry sauce
By Esther Clark
Make the most of any leftover Christmas cheese with these croquettes. Once fried, they have a crisp shell and wonderfully oozy, melty middle
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Prep:45 mins
Cook:35 mins
plus 3 hrs chilling - More effort
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 156
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fat 8g
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saturates 4g
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carbs 15g
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sugars 0g
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fibre 1g
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protein 5g
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salt 0.4g
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 80g plain flour
- 450ml whole milk
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 70g manchego, grated
- 50g cheddar
- 50g parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 300g panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 180g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 100g light brown soft sugar
Method
Heat the butter in a saucepan. Tip in the shallots and fry gently for 10-12 mins until translucent. Stir through the flour to make a thick paste. Warm the milk gently in a separate pan until steaming, then gradually whisk the milk into the floury paste to make a thick sauce. Add the cayenne, three cheeses and a pinch of salt. Pour the mix into a baking tray and set aside to cool for 30 mins, then cover and chill for at least 3 hrs or overnight.
For the sauce, tip the cranberries into a pan with the sugar and 100ml water, and simmer for 10-15 mins until the cranberries break down. Season to taste. Once chilled, loosen with a splash of water if the cranberry sauce is too thick.
With wet hands, roll the cheese mixture into walnut-sized balls. Put the beaten egg in a shallow bowl and the breadcrumbs on a shallow plate. Roll the balls in the egg, then the crumbs, making sure each one is well coated. Repeat once more so they’re coated in two layers of each.
Pour the oil into a large saucepan until it’s a third full, and heat to 175C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Carefully fry the croquettes in batches for 2-3 mins until golden. (If the oil is too hot, they will darken on the outside before the inside is hot.) Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Leave to drain for a few minutes, then serve with the cranberry sauce.
