Pea & Mint Croquettes

🥘 Ingredients

• salt
• dried mint 1 tsp
• sour cream 120 g
• olive oil 1 tbsp
• olive oil 3 tbsp
• banana shallots 6
• white wine vinegar 1 tbsp
• frozen and defrosted peas 700 g
• mint leaves 20 g
• garlic 1 clove
• eggs 1
• eggs 4
• plain flour 100 g
• panko breadcrumbs 150 g
• sunflower oil

Sauce

1. 1

   To make the sauce, place all the ingredients in a bowl with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a grind of black pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use. dried mint , sour cream , olive oil .

Croquettes

1. 1

   Place the olive oil in a medium-sized sauté pan on a medium heat. Add the banana shallots and sauté for 15-20 minutes , stirring often, until soft. Add the white wine vinegar ; cook for a further 2 minutes and then remove from the heat.
2. 2

   Place the frozen and defrosted peas in a food processor and briefly blitz. They need to break down without turning into a mushy paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the shallot, mint leaves , garlic , eggs , 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper.
3. 3

   Line a tray that will fit in your freezer with baking paper and shape the pea mixture into 16 patties (around 60 g/2 oz each), about 7 cm (2 3/4 in) across and 2 cm (1 in) thick. Freeze for a couple of hours to firm up.
4. 4

   Place the remaining eggs in a bowl and gently beat. Place the plain flour in a separate bowl and the panko breadcrumbs in a third.
5. 5

   Remove the croquettes from the freezer and, one at a time, roll them in the flour, dip them in the egg, then coat them in the crumbs. You can then either return them to the freezer at this point or leave them at room temperature for about 1 hour , until partly defrosted. Whatever you do, when it comes to frying, it's important that the patties are not entirely frozen; you want them to cook through without burning the crust.
6. 6

   Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas.
7. 7

   Fill a medium-sized frying pan with enough sunflower oil so that it comes 2 1/2 cm (1 in) up the sides. Place on a medium-high heat and leave for 5 minutes for the oil to get hot. Reduce the heat to medium and fry the croquettes in batches for about 4 minutes , turning once, until both sides are golden-brown.
8. 8

   Transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes , to warm through. Serve at once, with the sauce spooned on top or placed alongside.