CHEF TONY SAYS: This week is National Vegetarian Week. It also coincides with one of my favourite times, wild garlic season. I have wild garlic growing in a large pot, but it’s now spreading all over the surrounding ground. Plenty to go at for tasty recipes.

Sundried Tomato and Goat’s Cheese Croquette with Wild Garlic and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

50g sundried tomatoes or sun blushed tomato diced
50g hard goat’s cheese diced
400g homemade mashed potato with no cream or butter
Flour
4 Eggs
Milk
Breadcrumbs
Wild garlic or spinach
Tomato sauce

Instructions
Sundried Tomato and Goat's Cheese Croquette with Wild Garlic and Tomato SauceMix the tomatoes and goat’s cheese with the mash (the mash must be plain as the butter or cream will cause the croquettes to split). Divide the mix into 6 and shape into cylinders. You could use a disposable piping bag with no nozzle and the hole cut large to pie them into logs and just slice into 6. Place in the freezer to firm up.

After 30 minutes whisk the eggs and milk together until smooth, place the flour into a bowl and breadcrumbs into another bowl. To breadcrumb the croquettes, flour lightly then place in the egg mix, then into the breadcrumbs ensuring the whole croquette is coated. Then place back into the milk then the breadcrumbs again. This creates a double breadcrumb that will help stop the croquettes from splitting.

Deep fry the croquettes at 170c until golden then place in an oven preheated to 180c, for 10 minutes. While the croquettes are in the oven heat up the tomato sauce and wilt the wild garlic in a frying pan with a little butter. Season with salt and ground pepper and place into a colander to drain the moisture.

To plate-up, spoon the tomato sauce into the bottom of a plate or bowl, place the wild garlic in the centre and finish with the croquette on top.

 

PROPER FOOD FOR PROPER APPETITES
Each week, discover recipes to nourish the soul, all compiled and concocted by Chef Tony, a gastronome with 15 years’ of experience cooking across the North West. Chef Tony has worked in some of the region’s best kitchens, including the award-winning Nutters in Rochdale and The Lowry at Salford Quays.