Description
Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, these Portuguese shrimp croquettes feature a silky béchamel filling brightened with lemon zest.
Ingredients
Scale
- 450 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 60 g unsalted butter (4 tbsp)
- 100 g yellow onion (1 small), finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 60 g all-purpose flour (1/2 cup)
- 500 ml whole milk (2 cups)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 15 g fresh parsley (1/4 cup chopped)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 200 g plain breadcrumbs (about 2 cups)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Poach the shrimp in a skillet with water and salt until pink and opaque. Drain, reserve poaching liquid, and roughly chop shrimp.
- Melt butter in a saucepan, add onion, and cook until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook until aromatic.
- Stir in flour to make a roux, then whisk in milk and reserved poaching liquid. Simmer until thickened.
- Remove bay leaf, fold in shrimp, lemon zest, parsley, and season to taste. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Shape chilled filling into oval forms.
- Bread the croquettes by dipping in egg and rolling in breadcrumbs.
- Fry in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges and aioli.
Notes
Chilling the formed croquettes is critical to prevent them from breaking apart while frying. For extra crispness, use a mix of panko and fine breadcrumbs.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Portuguese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 croquette
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 85mg