A runny, creamy filling packed with brown shrimp in a crisp crust, served with fried parsley and lemon. This version works on shrimp milk: full-fat milk in which the shrimp heads infuse with herbs, which gives a round, soft, creamy croquette.
Prawn croquettes
Region: Ostend
Prawn croquettes
Region: Ostend
Method
01
Shrimp milk
Peel the shrimp and keep the heads separate. Bring the milk gently to the boil with the heads, celery, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, parsley stalks and the dissolved cornflour. Leave to infuse for a maximum of 30 minutes over a gentle heat. Strain and press the heads out well; that's where the flavour is. Leave the milk to cool slightly.
02
Blond roux
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the flour and cook gently for about three minutes, so that the flour taste is gone but the roux doesn't colour.
03
Salpicon
Pour the lukewarm shrimp milk onto the roux and whisk vigorously smooth, without lumps. Bring briefly back to the boil, stirring, to a thick, smooth mass.
04
Finish
Take off the heat and stir in the squeezed-out gelatine. Season with cayenne, nutmeg, lemon juice, pepper and salt; taste boldly, because cold dulls flavour. Carefully fold in the shrimp and finally stir in the liaison of egg yolks and cream. Do not boil again.
05
Set
Pour into a dish greased with groundnut oil, cover with cling film directly on the surface and leave to set in the fridge for at least half a day (preferably overnight).
06
Shape and bread
Cut and shape bars of 70 g. Roll them through the flour, then through the lightly whisked egg white, then through the breadcrumbs. Leave to set for a little longer in the fridge. (For service: at this point you can also freeze them.)
07
Deep-fry
Fry the croquettes for 4 to 5 minutes at 180 °C until deep golden brown, a maximum of 4 at a time so the oil stays at temperature. Drain on kitchen paper.
08
Fry the parsley
Deep-fry the bone-dry parsley leaves for a few seconds at 180 °C (careful, it spits!) until they crackle. Drain and lightly salt.
Tips & notes
The generous amount of gelatine makes these croquettes firm enough to freeze and fry straight from the freezer (allow a minute extra). And really peel the shrimp yourself: without fresh heads there is no shrimp milk, and without shrimp milk there is no croquette. Best served immediately and crisp; store leftovers chilled and reheat them in the oven or air fryer (not the microwave) to bring back the crispness.
Variations
- Replace brown shrimp with Dutch (Hollandse) shrimp as an alternative.
- Make mini croquettes for drinks instead of a full side dish.
Contains:
Gluten
Eggs
Milk
Crustaceans
Peanuts
Celery
| Calories | 423 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 43 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g |
| Fat | 11 g |
| Fibre | 4 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
