Rice Croquettes from france

A special dish from France. Makes a delicious main dish. Serve with wine and salad..

This recipe is not very easy to make, and is time consuming. It is worth the work, however. For our vegetarian visitors mushrooms and grated cheese may be substituted for the shrimps.

Ingredients

I oz. [2 tablespoons] butter
I oz. [1/4 cup] flour
4 fl. oz. double cream [1/2 cup heavy cream]
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon tomato puree
8 oz. [3 cups] cooked long-grain rice
4 tablespoons canned sweetcorn
8 oz. peeled frozen shrimps, thawed and drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 oz. [1 1/3 cups] dry white breadcrumbs
4 fl. oz. [1/2 cup] vegetable oil

Preparation

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Remove the pan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Gradually add the cream, stirring constantly and being careful to avoid lumps.
Return the pan to the heat and cook the sauce, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until it is very thick. Stir in the salt, pepper, chilli powder, coriander, garam masala and tomato puree Cook the sauce, stirring constantly, for a further 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rice, sweetcorn and shrimps. Combine the mixture thoroughly and then chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator. Place the egg on one plate and the breadcrumbs on another. Break off pieces of the mixture and shape them into balls. Slightly flatten the balls between the palms of your hands and roll them, first in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs, coating them thoroughly and shaking off any excess crumbs.
In a large, heavy-based frying-pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. When the oil is hot, add half the croquettes and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until they are heated through and crisp and golden on the outside.
Using a fish slice or spatula, transfer the croquettes from the pan to kitchen paper towels to drain. Arrange the croquettes on a warmed serving dish and keep them hot while you fry and drain the remaining croquettes in the same way.
When all the croquettes have been fried, serve immediately