Coinneach MacLeod’s Stornoway black pudding and apple croquettes recipe
With their golden crunch and gooey centres, these croquettes are the sort of comfort food you reach for on a cold winter’s evening.
“A visit to Stornoway always means a trip to Charles MacLeod butchers to stock up on their black pudding,” says Coinneach MacLeod. “Theirs is rich, perfectly spiced and features here as the star of these, crisp on the outside and soft within, croquettes.”
Coinneach MacLeod’s Stornoway black pudding and apple croquettes recipe
Ingredients:
(Makes 18-20)
50ml milk
150ml vegetable stock
85g butter, plus a little extra for the pan
120g plain flour
75g mature Cheddar, finely grated
A splash of olive oil, for frying
150g Stornoway black pudding, chopped
Knob of butter
1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
Pinch of sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
150g breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
Sea salt and freshly ground
Method:
1. Pour the milk and vegetable stock into a small saucepan and warm gently over a low heat. Once hot, remove from the heat and set aside. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and cook for two to three minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells lightly toasted. Slowly add the warm milk and stock, stirring well after each addition, until you have a thick, smooth bechamel. Season generously, then stir through the grated Cheddar until fully melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
2. Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the black pudding for a couple of minutes, until it starts to crisp at the edges. Lift out and set aside. Add a knob of butter to the same pan, then add the chopped apple with a pinch of sugar. Cook for two to three minutes, until lightly caramelised. Fold the black pudding and apple through the cheese sauce until evenly combined. Spoon the mixture into a bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least two hours, until completely firm.
3. Put the beaten eggs into one bowl and the breadcrumbs into another. Once the mixture is chilled, lightly oil your hands, scoop out portions, rolling each one into a ball of around 30g to make a croquette. Dip each croquette into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs until well-coated. Set aside and repeat.
4. Pour enough vegetable oil into a wide, deep, frying pan so it comes about 3cm up the sides. Heat over a medium-high heat until a cube of bread turns golden in about 20 seconds. Fry the croquettes in batches for two to three minutes, turning gently, until golden and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper. Serve slightly cooled if you like the centre gooey or later if you prefer it set.
Extracted from Hebridean Baker, A Scottish Christmas by Coinneach MacLeod. Published in hardback by Bonnier Books, priced £26. Photography by Susie Lowe. Available now.