Rarebit and pickled onion croquetas

Method

• step 1

  Melt a knob of butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped pickled onions and fry for 5 minutes until they’ve softened slightly (they should still have some crunch) and any excess vinegar has evaporated. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.

• step 2

  Sprinkle over the 3 tbsp of flour and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the beer and stir until the mix is smooth and very thick. Stir in the milk (don’t worry if it splits a little, it will come back together), mustards and a pinch of pepper until combined, then add the grated cheese and stir until melted. The mixture should be very thick and smooth – keep bubbling until the mix falls in dollops from the spoon rather than drizzling. Remove from the heat, transfer to a heatproof dish and cover the top with clingfilm (to stop a skin forming). Allow to cool in the fridge until solid. (You can spread the mix onto a baking tray to help speed this process up.)

• step 3

  Put the eggs, remaining flour and breadcrumbs into separate bowls, ready to coat the croquetas. Using a teaspoon or melon baller, scrape the chilled rarebit mix into 30 bite-size balls (you can shape into neat balls using the palms of flour-dusted hands). Coat each croqueta first in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs and put on to a plate or tray and chill for 30 minutes.

• step 4

  Heat a pan of oil ⅓ full to 180C, or until a cube of bread turns golden in 30 seconds. Deep-fry the croquetas in batches for 2-4 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper, season with salt, and serve hot.