Potato, thyme and cheese croquettes

Serves 6-8 AS A STARTER OR SIDE Sauces and accompaniments

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Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Scrub the potatoes, pierce them with a fork and place them on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until soft. Slice open in a cross formation, to allow the steam to escape. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and pass it through a sieve, mouli or potato ricer into a bowl. Set aside.

While the potatoes are baking, make the cheese sauce. Put the milk in a small saucepan. Gently bring to the boil over a low heat. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the flour and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, over a low heat for around 1 minute (avoid letting it brown). Add a ladle of the hot milk and stir to combine. Continue adding the milk a bit at a time until you have a thick sauce. Bring to a simmer, then mix in the cheese, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until melted. Cover and remove from the heat.

Heat the 15g of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for around 10 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add the thyme, then add to the sauce with the grated cheese. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the mashed potato and mix well. Chill for 3 hours, until firm. Using wet hands, form into balls, roughly 20g each, and chill for 20 minutes.

While the croquettes are chilling, pour enough vegetable oil into a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer to come up to around 5cm and place over a medium heat. If using a deep-fat fryer or if you have a thermometer, heat the oil to 170C. If not, to check the oil is at the right temperature, drop a 2-3cm cube of bread into the hot oil – it should turn golden and crisp in 1 minute.

While the oil heats, put the crumb ingredients in 3 bowls. Coat the croquettes in the flour, then the egg, then a generous coating of crumbs. Chill (on a tray) for 10 minutes.

Carefully lower a batch of croquettes into the hot oil and fry for 4 minutes, or until they rise to the surface with a hissing sound. Lift out carefully with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and serve hot. Repeat with the remaining croquettes.

TIP: Don’t discard your potato peelings. Toss them with a tsp of olive oil, then bake in an oven preheated to 200C/ 180 C Fan/Gas 6 for 8-12 minutes and serve with harissa mayo for dipping.