Belgian shrimp croquettes

First attempt, later abandoned: peel and devein 500 g of fresh shrimp, sweat a diced onion in butter, add the shrimp, flambe with brandy, add tomato paste and 250 ml water, boil and salt.

First attempt, later abandoned: cool, pulse to a smooth paste, then cook 50 g butter with 50 g flour and 250 ml milk to a sauce that coats the back of a spoon; chill an hour. The mixture never became mouldable and the recipe was dropped at 3:52.

Squeeze the tails off peeled and deveined shrimp and chop the shrimp into a quarter inch dice; keep the tails.

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook half a sliced onion until translucent but not browned.

Add the shrimp tails, the milk and a bay leaf, bring to a boil then drop to a simmer for ten minutes and strain the sauce.

Return the strained milk to the saucepan, add the diced shrimp and poach three minutes until the shrimp turn a cooked colour, then strain them out.

Bloom one envelope of gelatin in about 75 ml of cold water in a frying pan.

Melt four tablespoons of butter over low heat, stir in two thirds of a cup of flour, then whisk in the strained milk broth and bring it to a boil until thick.

Grate in about 60 g of Parmesan and bring back to a boil.

Melt the bloomed gelatin over low heat for one to two minutes and mix it into the bechamel, then take it off the heat.

Stir an egg yolk beaten with five tablespoons of milk into the bechamel, then add the shrimp, cayenne, nutmeg, black pepper, salt and a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Spread into a pan with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate at least overnight.

Shape five elongated ovals and set up a dredging station of flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.

Roll each shape in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, and repeat the egg and breadcrumb coat; chill them.

Heat leftover frying oil between a quarter and half an inch deep in a cast iron to 350F and fry the croquettes a couple of minutes per side, gently, until crisp and golden brown all over.

Variation: freezing the filling firm before shaping makes the croquettes hold their shape in the oil.

Drain on a rack over paper towel and place a little parsley on top.