Receta Leek and feta croquettes
Why are these croquettes so ridiculous, I hear you ask?
Well… you know how most croquette recipes are based around something like mashed potato?
The main bulk of these leek and feta croquettes is béchamel sauce.
You read that right – this is just breaded, fried béchamel sauce. And it is glorious.
Now do you understand why I was hesitant to share? I swear my diet includes heaps and heaps of fresh veg, pulses, and all that other good stuff. I swear I eat relatively healthily most of the time… but sometimes you just need some breaded, fried béchamel sauce.
Please tell me I’m not the only one.
And then join me for a croquette…
All you do is whip up a quick béchamel sauce, but make it a little thicker than usual. Add some sautéed leeks and crumbled feta cheese, and leave it to cool so that it thickens up even more. Then just shape it into little logs, roll them in breadcrumbs, and fry them until the outside is super crispy, and the sauce inside has got all melty again.
I literally can’t describe how wonderful these are.
When you break them open, they get all oozey…
Of course, you’ll want to pair these with an enormous green salad to counteract the fried béchamel sauce (sorry, I just can’t stop saying it). If you prefer, you could always shape them into little rounds instead of logs, and then scatter them over your salad like little croutons (the best croutons in the world, I should add).
Oh, and one little tip for when you fry them – the mixture is quite soft, so when it comes to turning them over in the pan, I found it easiest to just gently roll them. If you try to pick them up with tongs or anything, you’ll probably just squish them – so rolling is best!
Leek and feta croquettes Author: Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche Recipe type: Light lunch Yield: Makes 8 Ingredients
Oil 1 medium leek, halved lengthwise then sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2tbsp butter 4tbsp plain flour 150ml (~1/2 cup) milk 100g feta cheese, crumbled (~1/2 cup crumbled) Black pepper ~6tbsp fine breadcrumbs Instructions
Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, and add the sliced leek and garlic. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, until soft and fragrant. Set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and add the flour. Stirring constantly, cook over a low heat, for a minute or so to cook the flour. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth each time before adding more. When the béchamel sauce is smooth, but fairly thick, add the sautéed leeks and crumbled feta, along with plenty of black pepper. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes. Spread the breadcrumbs out on a plate. Take about one heaped tablespoon of the béchamel sauce, and shape it into a log (or your desired shape). Roll it in the breadcrumbs, and repeat with the remaining sauce. Heat some more oil in a frying pan (you can use the same pan as you did before) - just enough to comfortably cover the bottom of the pan. Add the croquettes, making sure that you're not overcrowding the pan (you might need to cook them in two batches). Cook over a medium-high heat for around 5 minutes, rolling them over occasionally, until golden brown all over. If cooking the croquettes in more than one batch, remove any burnt breadcrumbs from the pan before adding the next batch. 3.2.2925
If you have any feta left over, why not try my spinach and feta chickpea burgers: