Japanese Croquettes (Kare Korokke)

• 4 Desiree / Maris Piper / King Edward potatoes

• 1 onion

• ½ carrot

• 3-5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water overnight

• 300g minced beef

• 2 handfuls of petit pois

The Curry Roux

• 3 tbsp butter

• 3 tbsp plain flour

• 1.5 tbsp curry powder

• 1.5 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2.5 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1.5 tbsp mirin

• 1 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp salt

• 6-8 tbsp water

The Coating

• 200g plain flour

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 2 eggs for pane

• Panko breadcrumbs

• Tonkotsu sauce on the side

• Peel and dice the potatoes and carrots into ½ cm dices. Steam the potatoes for 20 minutes so that they are fully cooked but not too watery (as opposed to boiling them).Now finely dice the onion and the shiitake mushroom. Defrost the petit pois and have ready.

• Then make the roux as follows: melt the butter in a small saucepan on a low heat and then add the flour to the butter once it starts to bubble and fizz. Mix the flour well into the butter so that it forms a smooth paste. Then add the curry powder, garam masala and paprika and mix in well. Next pour in the light soy sauce, mirin and honey and mix into the paste until a uniform colour has formed throughout the paste.

• Now add 6-8 Tbsps of water to the paste at a time, whilst stirring constantly, allowing the paste to bubble up in between each addition of stock. Once you have formed a smooth, thick paste your roux is ready. Set aside to cool ready for later.

• Stir fry the onions first. The carrots and mushrooms go in a minute later. Stir fry for another five minutes, then add the minced beef until the beef has browned well around the edges and separated out. Then add the petit pois to the mix. Once the potatoes are cooked, gently mash them to a point where there are still small chunks of potato mixed together with the mash. Mix them together with the beef and onions. At this point, pour the roux in together with the rest of the mix and then lay out on a tray to cool for 1-2 hours in the fridge.

• Once the mash mix is cool, using a bowl of cold water to dip your hands into, divide the mixture into golf ball size meatballs and shape them into a ball before pressing down slightly on a greaseproof lined tray. Repeat this until all the mix has been used.

• Prepare 1 tray full of the plain flour seasoned with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, 1 bowl of beaten egg and the last tray full of panko breadcrumbs. To make the croquettes, place each flattened patty into the flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs (and again in egg and breadcrumbs if a thicker crumb is desired).

• Fill a wok ½ the way up with vegetable oil and heat to a medium-high heat (around 170°C). Use a wooden skewer or wooden chopstick to test the oil by placing the tip of the wood in the oil: if the wood starts to fizz after a 3-4 seconds, the oil is roughly at 170°C.

• Deep fry the separate patties by laying them carefully into the hot oil and frying for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.

• Drain on clean kitchen paper and serve with Tonkotsu sauce on the side.