These little fritters are one of the finest appetizers from the traditional Belgian kitchen. You will find them served in both modest cafés and in the country's fine dining restaurants.
Avoid frozen peeled shrimp, because they have very little flavour. Instead search out for the freshest shrimp you can find.
This dish must be refrigerated at least overnight, so allow yourself enough preparation time.
Shrimp Croquettes
½ pound smallest unpeeled shrimp available
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1¾ cups plus 5 tablespoons milk
½ bay leaf
1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
5 tablespoons cold water
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 ounces Parmesan or Gruyère cheese, grated
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Coating:
3 large egg whites
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dried bread crumbs
Frying and Serving:
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Boston lettuce leaves (optional)
Lemon wedges (optional)
Fried Parsley (recipe follows, optional)
- Shell the shrimp and reserve the shells. Chop the shrimp into ¼-inch dice.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp shells and cook for 2 more minutes. Add 1¾ cups milk and the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Strain the broth through a sieve and discard the solids. Return the broth to the saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the shrimp and poach for 3 minutes. Drain the shrimp and reserve the broth. You should have 112 cups of broth left.
- In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let stand while you prepare the bechamel sauce.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium-size saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Switch to a whisk and gradually whisk in the reserved broth. Bring almost to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and thick, about 7 minutes. Add the grated cheese and bring to almost a boil again.
- Heat the gelatin mixture over low heat until the gelatin has melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir it into the bechamel sauce and mix well.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Whisk the egg yolk and remaining 5 tablespoons milk together, then stir it into the bechamel. Stir in the shrimp, lemon juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne.
- Line a 9-inch-square cake pan with plastic wrap. Pour in the shrimp mixture and smooth with a spatula. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least overnight or up to 3 days.
- Prepare the coating: In a medium-size bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil just until frothy. Put the flour and bread crumbs into separate shallow bowls ready for dipping.
- Unmold the firm shrimp mixture onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 × 1 ½-inch rectangles and roll each rectangle into a cylinder for croquettes. For smaller hors d’oeuvres, cut each rectangle in half and roll into a ball.
- Coat the croquettes one at a time: Dust each cylinder or ball lightly with flour, dip into the egg white mixture, and coat with the bread crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to fry. (At this point the croquettes can wait several days in the refrigerator or longer in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator before frying.)
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a deep fryer to 375°F. Fry the croquettes, a few at a time, until they turn a rich golden color, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
- Serve the little walnut-size fritters as hors d’oeuvres with a supply of toothpicks. The larger croquettes traditionally are served on a plate decorated with Boston lettuce leaves, lemon wedges, and Fried Parsley.
Makes 18 croquettes or 36 walnut-size hors d’oeuvres
Ruth's favourite recipe of the day: Belgian born international chef Ruth Van Waerebeek combines a love of travel, adventure and the culinary arts in her best selling cookbook 'The taste of Belgium'. She draws inspiration from the many tested recipes carried through generations of family home cooks. Ruth picks one of her favourite recipes for The Brussels Times every day.
