From Ruth Van Waerebeeks's "Everybody Eats Well In Belgium Cookbook." Traditional Belgium shrimp croquettes are made with North Sea shrimp, called brown shrimp -- small, and very flavorful, and not readily available in the United States. Ruth writes: "For a while I thought I could never duplicate [the traditional Belgian croquette in the U.S.] .... But with a little experimentation I achieved quite good results. Do avoid frozen peeled shrimp, for they have very little flavor and search out the freshest shrimp you can find." The dish must be refrigerated at least overnight to allow yourself enough preparation time. (And DO read the directions through to prepare yourself for the time involved!)
Provided by Belgophile
Categories Belgian
Time 1h45m
Yield 18 croquettes (or 36 walnut-sized hors d'oeuvres
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- Shell the shrimp and reserve the shells. Chop the shrimp into 1/4-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 1-3/4 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 1-1/2 cups of broth left.
- In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let stand while you prepare the béchamel sauce.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized 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 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 béchamel 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 béchamel. 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 x 1-1/2-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.
- Arrange the three bowls in order -- flour, then egg whites, then bread crumbs -- and 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 the 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 over until ready to serve.
- Serve the little walnut-size fritters as hors d'oeuvres with a supply of toothpicks. The larger croquettes traditionally are serve on a plate decorated with Boston lettuce leaves, lemon wedges, and Fried Parsley (see below).
- Deep Fried Parsley: ("Very crisp and utterly delicious," according to Ruth. Traditionally served with cheese or shrimp croquettes, and as a garnish for fish dishes.) Rinse two cups curly parsley leaves (stems removed) under cold running water. Spin dry and roll in a clean dish towel to dry completely. Heat oil in a deep fryer or wok to 375°. Add the parsley and fry until crisp but not brown, about 20 seconds. Remove with a skimmer and drain on paper towels.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 142.1, Fat 6.8, SaturatedFat 3.5, Cholesterol 46, Sodium 200.2, Carbohydrate 12.6, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 0.7, Protein 7.5
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Lakshman Kumar
lakshman99@yahoo.comI can't wait to try making these croquettes. They look so delicious!
Sayed bashir sediqi
s-s@yahoo.comThese croquettes are a great way to impress your guests. They're sure to be a hit at your next party.
Santhi maya
maya-santhi@yahoo.comI made these croquettes with a spicy mayonnaise sauce and they were amazing. The sauce really took them to the next level.
Mr sahed
s15@yahoo.comThese croquettes were a bit bland for my taste. I think I'll add more spices next time.
Addisyn Murray
murraya@yahoo.comI've made these croquettes several times and they're always a hit. They're a great appetizer or main course.
Asif Mumtaz
asif@yahoo.comThese croquettes were a bit time-consuming to make, but they were worth the effort. They're a special dish that's perfect for a special occasion.
Muhammad Bin shakeel
b_muhammad57@yahoo.comI made these croquettes in an air fryer instead of frying them. They were still crispy and delicious.
Korimkhan
korimkhan@hotmail.comI'm gluten-free, so I made these croquettes with gluten-free breadcrumbs. They turned out great!
ALISHAN TARIQ
tariq6@yahoo.comI made these croquettes for my kids and they loved them. They're a great way to get kids to eat seafood.
Firecreeper
firecreeper96@hotmail.comThese croquettes were a great way to use up leftover shrimp. They were also a fun and easy appetizer to make.
David Weilnau
w@gmail.comI've never made croquettes before, but these were surprisingly easy to make. I'm definitely going to try making other types of croquettes now.
HB Aviary
a-h@aol.comI'm a vegetarian, so I made these croquettes with tofu instead of shrimp. They were still very good, but I think the shrimp would have been better.
Shatabdi Singha
s.s@hotmail.comI made these croquettes with fresh shrimp and they were amazing. The flavor was so much better than with frozen shrimp.
Margaret Melton
melton-margaret@gmail.comI followed the recipe exactly and my croquettes turned out perfectly. They were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
Orgil Batzaya
batzaya-orgil100@hotmail.frThese croquettes were a bit too salty for my taste, but otherwise they were very good.
Pawani Nimeshika
p.n36@yahoo.comI'm not a big fan of seafood, but I really enjoyed these croquettes. The shrimp flavor was subtle and the texture was light and fluffy.
Mary Obeng
o22@yahoo.comI made these for a party and they were a huge success. Everyone loved them!
Clay ethan
claye@yahoo.comThese were a bit more work than I expected, but they were worth it. The shrimp flavor really shines through and the sauce is amazing.
Maraj Ali Ali
alim18@gmail.comI've made these croquettes several times now and they are always a hit. They're so easy to make and they always turn out perfectly.
Seth Young
seth_y7@yahoo.comThese shrimp croquettes were absolutely delicious! The flavor was spot-on and the texture was perfect. I will definitely be making these again.