Crab croquettes

Method

• Step 1

  Melt the butter in a pan and fry the onion until golden brown.

• Step 2

  Stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds before gradually whisking in the milk. Whisk until the sauce is glossy and thick. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

• Step 3

  Beat in the tomato purée, mustard, nutmeg, salt and plenty of pepper. Cool a little then stir in the brown crab meat then the white and adjust seasoning. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Cool, then chill for 3-4 hours until thickened.

• Step 4

  When ready to cook, remove the cling film and make about 15 quenelles using two dessert spoons to form the mixture into small ovals. Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl. scatter half the breadcrumbs into a bowl.

• Step 5

  Dip each crab quenelle into the egg and then coat evenly in breadcrumbs. They are delicate so handle gently. Put on a baking tray. After 10 croquettes have been prepared, tip out the used breadcrumbs – these will have become sticky and lumpy – and replace them with the remaining breadcrumbs (at this point you can chill the croquettes until just before it is time to serve).

• Step 6

  Fill a large pan no more than one third with sunflower oil and heat to 180c or until a cube of bread browns in 2 minutes. Using a metal slotted spoon, carefully lower five crab cakes at a time into the hot oil and cook for about 2½ minutes until the coating is golden brown and the filling melted into a soft, unctuous sauce. Keep warm while the remainder are cooked. Serve hot with salad and wedges of lemon for squeezing. Good with a glass of chilled manzanilla.