Prawn and squid ink croquettes with bone marrow salad

“This dish is all about the oozy creamy croquette filling, so it doesn’t really matter what breadcrumbs you roll them in or what oil you use for frying. While at first I was a bit sceptical about cooking the bone marrow in the microwave, it works a treat because all the marrow stays intact and doesn’t run out like it does when you roast it. Either way, it’s all good.” Shane Delia, Shane Delia’s Moorish Spice Journey

Credit: Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey

• serves

  6-8

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 ml (2 cups) milk
• 250 g butter
• 250 g (1⅔ cups) plain flour, plus 75 g (½ cup) extra, for dusting
• 700 g green prawns (see note), peeled, cleaned and minced, shells reserved
• 2 tbsp squid ink
• 2 French shallots, finely chopped
• handful of chives, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 eggs
• 220 g (2 cups) dried breadcrumbs
• oil, for deep-frying

Prawn stock

• reserved prawn shells (see above)
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Bone marrow salad

• 2 bone marrows, split in half (ask your butcher to do this)
• 125 ml (½ cup) veal jus (available in jars from good butchers or delicatessens)
• 4 French shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp sherry vinegar
• small handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
• small handful of croutons
• handful of toasted almonds, chopped

Chilling time 2 hours or overnight

Instructions

To make the prawn stock, preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the reserved prawn shells, onion, celery, bay leaf and garlic in a roasting tin. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat, then roast for 30 minutes or until golden. Transfer everything to a saucepan, add 2 litres water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the solids.

Place 1.25 litres prawn stock and the milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes sandy in colour and texture. Increase the heat to medium-high, then stirring continuously, add 125 ml (½ cup) hot stock mixture and continue to stir until combined. Gradually add the remaining stock and continue to stir for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring regularly for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in 300 g prawn mince, the squid ink, shallot and chives and season to taste. Pour the mixture into a shallow tray, cover closely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight if time permits.

Place the eggs in a shallow bowl and lightly beat with a fork. Spread the breadcrumbs on a shallow tray and the extra flour in a shallow bowl.

Shape the cooled prawn mixture into croquettes. Dust each croquette in flour, then dip in beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs, pressing to coat evenly. Place the croquettes in a single layer on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the bone marrow salad, warm the bone marrow in a microwave on high for 30 seconds or until it starts to soften. Alternatively, place in a 180°C oven and bake for 10 minutes or until just cooked and soft. Preheat a grill to high. Place the bone marrow on a baking tray and spoon 1 tbsp jus over the top of each. Cook under the hot grill for 2 minutes or until bubbling. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Scrape out the bone marrow and keep in large pieces. Add to the bowl and mix gently with some of the remaining jus.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep-fryer to 180°C. Deep-fry the croquettes for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towel, then serve immediately with the bone marrow salad.

Note

• You will need 300 g of cleaned prawn meat to make the croquettes, so it’s safe to assume you’ll need approximately double that weight of unpeeled green prawns with a few extra thrown in for good measure.

Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey starts Thursday 15 October 2015 at 8pm on SBS and finishes 17 December 2015. Visit the Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey program page to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes and read our interview with Shane.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.