Prep time: 1 hour and 30 minutes, plus refrigeration
Cook time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Serves 6
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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 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 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.
