Béchamel based Creamy Shrimp Croquettes are as popular as Korokke (Japanese Potato and Ground Meat Croquettes) in Japan. They might look a bit fiddly but actually it does not take long to make them. Great to make ahead and freeze.
Unlike potato-based croquettes, you can enjoy the rich creamy flavour without pouring a sauce over the top.
Total Time does not include the time to chill the béchamel mixture.
Add the Creamy Shrimp Mixture ingredients, except butter and flour, to a saucepan and heat over medium high heat.
When the milk starts simmering gently, turn the heat down to low and simmer for a minute or until the prawns become red and curled up.
Let the prawns cool down a bit, then remove heads and peel the shells. Chop each prawn into 3-4 small pieces.
Add flour and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly ensuring the roux does not change colour.
Add 1/3 of the reserved milk and mix well to incorporate until lump free (note 2).
Transfer the mixture to a tray and shape it into a square or a rectangle of about 2.5cm/1” thickness.
Cover the surface of the mixture with cling wrap to prevent it from drying up. Let it cool down, then chill in the fridge for a couple of hours (note 3).
Place flour, egg and breadcrumbs individually in shallow plates or bowls.
Coat each piece with flour, egg, then breadcrumbs. Ensure that the surface of the croquette is well covered with the coatings otherwise the soft cream will ooze out from the gap while frying.
Heat oil in a deep fry pan to 175-180C/350F. Gently drop a few pieces in (note 4) and fry for a couple of minutes until the breadcrumbs become golden brown.
Transfer the croquette to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil, or a tray with a rack.
Serve immediately with shredded cabbage and a stem of parsley leaves.
1. If you only have peeled prawns, you will need 80g. The prawn flavour in the milk will not be as intense.
2. If required, use a whisk to remove lumps.
3. You could chill it in the freezer too. As long as the béchamel mixture becomes cold and firm it will be OK to shape croquettes.
4. I used a small sauce pan to deep fry three croquettes at a time. After dropping one croquette in the oil, I placed another croquette on top of the one in the oil so that the croquette gently rolled into the oil.
5. You can freeze Creamy Shrimp Croquettes either before deep frying or after deep frying. Frozen croquettes keep about a month.
FREEZE BEFORE FRYING: Wrap each crumbed croquette in cling wrap and place them on a flat tray without overlapping. Once frozen, you can pile them up in a bag or a container to store.
To cook, defrost in a microwave for 1 minute (per croquette), then deep fry at 175-180C/350F until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the oil with too many croquettes.
FREEZE AFTER FRYING: Wrap each croquette in cling wrap and place them on a flat tray without overlapping. Alternatively, place croquettes without touching each other in a container with a lid and freeze. Once frozen, you can pile them up in a bag or a container to store.
To reheat, microwave for a minute (per croquette) to defrost, then place them on a tray lined with scrunched aluminium foil. Bake at 175-180C/350F for 15 minutes.
6. Nutrition per croquette, assuming that the amount of oil absorbed into a croquette is 10% of the weight of the croquette.
serving: 139g calories: 378kcal fat: 18g (28%) saturated fat: 3.3g (16%) trans fat: 0.1g polyunsaturated fat: 4.4g monounsaturated fat: 9.3g cholesterol: 40mg (13%) sodium: 284mg (12%) potassium: 203mg (6%) carbohydrates: 44g (15%) dietary fibre: 2.1g (8%) sugar: 1.9g protein: 9.6g vitamin a: 4.2% vitamin c: 1.9% calcium: 8.8 % iron: 15 %