Name: Stokehouse’s yabby croquettes with romesco
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 35
Ingredients: 800 gm coliban potatoes; 30 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 onions, finely chopped; 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 300 gm uncooked yabby or lobster meat, finely chopped; 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1 tbsp thinly sliced chives; 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind; For deep-frying: vegetable oil; 200 gm plain flour, seasoned (1⅓ cups); 4 eggs, lightly beaten; 200 gm fine fresh white breadcrumbs; To serve: micro-cress; White wine velouté; 10 gm butter; 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil; 75 gm small button mushrooms (about 5), thinly sliced; 1½ golden shallots, finely chopped; 100 ml dry white wine; 100 ml fish stock; 100 ml pouring cream; Romesco; 3 Roma tomatoes, halved; 1 small red capsicum, quartered; 6 garlic cloves; 80 ml olive oil (⅓ cup); 15 gm soft white sandwich bread (½ slice); 30 gm almond meal (¼ cup)

“Croquettes are without doubt great party food,” says Tony Kelly. “You can fancy them up using yabby or try the Spanish classic of jamón and Manchego.”

Ingredients

800 gm coliban potatoes

30 gm butter, coarsely chopped

1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

300 gm uncooked yabby or lobster meat, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp thinly sliced chives

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

For deep-frying: vegetable oil

200 gm plain flour, seasoned (1⅓ cups)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

200 gm fine fresh white breadcrumbs

To serve: micro-cress

White wine velouté

10 gm butter

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

75 gm small button mushrooms (about 5), thinly sliced

1½ golden shallots, finely chopped

100 ml dry white wine

100 ml fish stock

100 ml pouring cream

Romesco

3 Roma tomatoes, halved

1 small red capsicum, quartered

6 garlic cloves

80 ml olive oil (⅓ cup)

15 gm soft white sandwich bread (½ slice)

30 gm almond meal (¼ cup)

60 ml Sherry vinegar (¼ cup)

¼ tsp sweet paprika

Pinch of dried red chilli flakes, or to taste

Method

Main

1.Cook potatoes in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water until tender (20-25 minutes). Drain, peel, mash and set aside.

2.Meanwhile, for white wine velouté, heat butter and oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add mushroom and shallot and stir occasionally until tender (3-4 minutes). Add white wine and stock and cook over high heat until almost evaporated (4-8 minutes), then add cream, bring to the boil, remove from heat, season to taste and set aside to cool.

3.Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, leek and garlic and stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes). Add yabby, stir occasionally until opaque (3-5 minutes), then add mashed potato, herbs and lemon rind and mix to combine. Remove from heat and add 200ml velouté. Mix to combine then season to taste and refrigerate to chill (2 hours).

4.Meanwhile, for romesco, preheat oven to 220C. Place tomato, capsicum and garlic on an oven tray, drizzle with 2 tsp oil, then season to taste with salt and roast until garlic is golden (20-30 minutes). Set aside to cool (10 minutes), then spoon vegetables and any juices from the tray into a food processor. Meanwhile, place bread on an oven rack and bake until golden (10-15 minutes). When cool, break into pieces and add to food processor along with remaining ingredients except oil, and process to a fine purée. With motor running, add remaining oil in a thin, steady stream until combined. Season to taste and set aside.

5.Shape 2 heaped tablespoons of yabby mixture into a 3cm-long cylinder, place on an oven tray lined with baking paper and repeat with remaining yabby mixture. Refrigerate until chilled.

6.Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 170C. Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Working with one croquette at a time, dip croquette first in flour, then in egg, then in breadcrumbs, shaking off excess in between. Deep-fry in batches, turning occasionally, until golden (3 minutes; be careful as hot oil will spit) and drain on absorbent paper. Serve croquettes hot, scattered with micro-cress, with romesco for dipping.