Shrimp Croquette / Garnalen kroketten

Belgium is really famous for a variety of Croquettes / Kroketten.

One of the most famous one will be Aardappel kroketten / Potato crouquettes, are often served as a side dish. Then there is Kaas kroketten / Cheese croquettes which i super yumm, and then there is this Shrimp / Garnalen crouquettes which is made with grey shrimps and as we live near to the North sea ther eis always fresh grey shrimps available through  my MIL's sister as she knows a fishermen and she gets really fresh grey shrimps for us when it is available.

These Shrimp crouquettes are really famous, you will see pre maid ones in the fish monkers, in the super market in the deepfreeze section and not to mention in almost every restaraunt here.

And it is always ate as a starter with a green salade and deep fried parsley on the side.

ofcourse these days if you buy from the shops, they ask so much money but when you eat them one will be like one really has to look if there is shrimps in them, so I tend to make them at home.

I know if someone would have told me I will be making them at home when I cam here years ago I would have declared them crazy :-)

 

 

 

 





 Shrimp Croguettes: You will get +/- 10 croguettes.

3 Shallots finley chopped

60 gm butter

60 gm flour

300 ml chicken stock

pinch of nutmeg

Salt and peper to taste

200 gm grey shrimps

2 eggs beaten

Few tabls spoon of flour

Bread crumbs to coat the croguettes ( +/- 1 cup)

Oil for deepfrying

Curly parsly for frying

Heat the butter in a pan and add the shalots and fry in the butter softly don't  +/- 3 minutes.

Add the flour and keep on stirring fro 2 minutes just to cook the flour.

Add half of the stock and stirr continiously till it starts to get thick, then add the rest of the stock and bring everything to boil. Take care that you don't burn everything you will have to stir continiously. This will take few minutes, when you see th emixture is really thick then off the fire and add the nutmeg,salt and pepper and give it a good stir. Then add the shrimps. Mix everything carfully.

Pour this mixture into a shallow glass bowl. Smooth the top and keep this in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours.

Divide the mix into ten portion shape them like you see in the picture. ( While I shape them I add a drop of oil in my hands so that the mixture doesn't stick to my hands)

Take a crouquett and roll them in the flour, removing the exceess flour then coat them nicely with the egg and then roll them with the bread crumbs. Make sure bread crumbs are coated evenly. Repeat with the rest of the croquettes.

Heat the oil to 180°c  and fry the croguettes till they are golden brown.

Deep fry the parsly .

Serve with a green salade with the fried croquettes and fried parsley with a wedge of lemon/lime.

I some times make them the evening before and then use the next day, especially when I am making it for a party. I keep them in a tupperware in layers.