Triple-cheese croquettes with cranberry sauce

• butter↗50g g
• banana shallots↗2

  finely chopped

• plain flour↗80g g
• whole milk↗450ml ml
• cayenne pepper↗pinch of
• manchego↗70g g

  grated

• cheddar↗50g g
• parmesan↗50g g

  or vegetarian hard cheese

• eggs↗4 large

  lightly beaten

• panko breadcrumbs↗300g g
• vegetable oil↗

  for deep frying

• cranberries↗180g fresh or frozen g
• light brown soft sugar↗100g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat the butter in a saucepan. Tip in the shallots and fry gently for 10-12 mins until translucent. Stir through the flour to make a thick paste. Warm the milk gently in a separate pan until steaming, then gradually whisk the milk into the floury paste to make a thick sauce. Add the cayenne, three cheeses and a pinch of salt. Pour the mix into a baking tray and set aside to cool for 30 mins, then cover and chill for at least 3 hrs or overnight.

2. 2

   For the sauce, tip the cranberries into a pan with the sugar and 100ml water, and simmer for 10-15 mins until the cranberries break down. Season to taste. Once chilled, loosen with a splash of water if the cranberry sauce is too thick.

3. 3

   With wet hands, roll the cheese mixture into walnut-sized balls. Put the beaten egg in a shallow bowl and the breadcrumbs on a shallow plate. Roll the balls in the egg, then the crumbs, making sure each one is well coated. Repeat once more so they’re coated in two layers of each.

4. 4

   Pour the oil into a large saucepan until it’s a third full, and heat to 175C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Carefully fry the croquettes in batches for 2-3 mins until golden. (If the oil is too hot, they will darken on the outside before the inside is hot.) Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Leave to drain for a few minutes, then serve with the cranberry sauce.