Shrimp croquettes (Garnalen croquetjes)

Traditional recipe from The Netherlands

• 1 cup of cooked shrimps (prawns)
• 1/2 package of gelatin
• 2 tbsp of flour
• 2 tbsp of butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 egg yolk
• light cream
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• salt
• pepper
• chopped parsley
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbsp salad oil
• dry bread crumbs
• fat or oil for deep frying

Wash and drain the shrimps.

Soak gelatin in some of the cold milk.

Make a thick sauce of flour, butter, milk and stock and add the shrimps and gelatin.

Beat the egg yolk with the cream, add the sauce and return to saucepan for thickening, making sure it does not boil.

Add lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.

Spread this mixture onto a shallow dish to cool and set.

When set, cut in 8 equal parts and form a firm cylinder of each.

Roll each in bread crumbs, then in a mixture of beaten egg whites and salad oil, then again in bread crumbs, again in egg white and bread crumbs.

Fry in hot deep fat (400˚ C) until golden brown and serve hot, garnished with with sprigs of parsley that have been fried crisp (but not brown) in the same deep fat. Serve on a platter on absorbing paper.