Ingredients
Shrimp
- 500 gwhole grey North Sea shrimp, unpeeled
- or 250 g peeled grey shrimp plus 250 g shells and heads
Stock
- the heads and shells
- 1onion
- 1carrot
- 1 tbsptomato paste
- 50 mlbrandy
- 500 mlwater
- 1bay leaf
Béchamel
- 90 gbutter
- 110 gplain flour
- 500 mlof the shrimp stock
- 100 mlmilk
- 3gelatine leaves, soaked
- 2egg yolks
- juice of half a lemon
- cayenne
- nutmeg
- salt and white pepper
Coating
- flour
- 3eggs, beaten
- fine dry breadcrumbs
To fry
- oil, for deep frying
To serve
- fried parsley
- a lemon wedge
- a beer
Directions
- Fry the heads and shells hard in butter until deeply fragrant and coloured. Crush them as they fry, which releases far more. Add the onion, carrot and tomato paste and cook 5 minutes. Flame or boil off the brandy, add the water and bay, and simmer 20 minutes.
- Strain it, pressing the solids hard, and reduce it to about 500 ml of intensely flavoured stock. Now the béchamel, which must be far thicker than any normal sauce. Melt the butter and stir in the flour, cooking it 2 minutes without colouring. Whisk in the hot stock gradually, then the milk.
- Add the liquid a little at a time and whisk it smooth before the next addition, or it will lump. Cook it for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring hard, until it is very thick and pulls away from the pan. Cook the flour out properly.
- Take it off the heat and beat in the egg yolks. Now squeeze the soaked gelatine and stir it in until dissolved. Season it hard with lemon, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Season it more aggressively than seems right. Fold in the chopped peeled shrimp.
- Fold them in gently at the end so they stay whole rather than breaking up. Spread the mixture into a tray lined with cling film, about 3 cm deep. Press film onto the surface and refrigerate at least 6 hours, and overnight is better. It must be completely cold and firm.
- Work quickly and keep your hands cool. Make sure the ends are sealed as thoroughly as the sides. Chill the coated croquettes again for at least an hour. Heat the oil to 180°C (355°F).
- Fry only two or three at a time for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden. Do not crowd the pan, both because it drops the temperature and because a burst croquette makes the oil foam violently. Lift them out and drain them briefly. Serve them immediately with deep-fried parsley and a wedge of lemon.
Technique
- Grey North Sea shrimp are small, sweet and quite unlike larger prawns.
- Hand-peeling is still done by hand in Belgian coastal towns and is why they are expensive.
- They freeze well shaped and coated, and fry from frozen.
Substitutions
- Any small cooked cold-water shrimp, with shells if possible.
- Cheese croquettes, made with the same method.
Variations
- Kaaskroketten, made with cheese.
- Made with crab.
- Made small, as bar snacks.
History
Made with tiny grey North Sea shrimp still hand-peeled in Ostend and Zeebrugge; the horseback shrimp fishermen of Oostduinkerke are UNESCO listed.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shrimp croquettes?
Shrimp croquettes is a snack from Belgium: molten croquettes of North Sea grey shrimp, fried crisp. Made with tiny grey North Sea shrimp still hand-peeled in Ostend and Zeebrugge; the horseback shrimp fishermen of Oostduinkerke are UNESCO listed.
How long does Shrimp croquettes take to make?
Shrimp croquettes takes 1 hr plus 6 hr chilling of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 croquettes. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Shrimp croquettes?
Yes, within limits. Any small cooked cold-water shrimp, with shells if possible. Cheese croquettes, made with the same method.
What is the most important thing to get right in Shrimp croquettes?
Strain it, pressing the solids hard, and reduce it to about 500 ml of intensely flavoured stock. Now the béchamel, which must be far thicker than any normal sauce. Melt the butter and stir in the flour, cooking it 2 minutes without colouring. Whisk in the hot stock gradually, then the milk.
