Pancetta, cheddar & cranberry croquettes
- Helena Busiakiewicz
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Serves 6
More effort
Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 45 mins
plus 3 hrs chilling, or overnight
A star rating of 3.4 out of 5.5 ratingsRate
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Take a little effort to make these delicious croquettes – they store well in the freezer and make a quick starter that takes just minutes to cook
Freezable
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This recipe was updated after retesting on 20/11/25.
Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
-
125g pancetta
-
40g unsalted butter
-
½ nutmeg
grated
-
1 tsp mustard powder
-
½ tsp smoked paprika
-
5g freshly picked thyme leaves
-
40g plain flour
plus 50g more for coating
-
300ml whole milk
-
3 tbsp cranberry sauce
plus extra for serving
-
100g mature cheddar
coarsely grated
-
2 eggs
beaten
-
vegetable oil
for deep-frying
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Nutrition: Per serving
- kcal411
- fat27g
- saturates11g
- carbs26g
- sugars6g
- fibre1g
- protein15g
- salt1.2g
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Method
-
step 1
Tip the pancetta into a cold medium saucepan and set over a medium heat. This encourages the fat to render, making the pancetta extra crisp. Cook for 8-10 mins, until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Set aside.
-
step 2
In the same pan, melt the butter over a medium heat until foaming. Add the nutmeg, mustard powder, paprika, thyme and flour, and season. Cook for 1 min, until fragrant. Slowly add the milk, bit by bit, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cranberry sauce, cheddar and pancetta, mixing well. Season with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Scrape into a shallow bowl, then cover and chill in the fridge for about 2 hrs or ideally overnight, until cold and solid.
-
step 3
Tip the remaining 50g flour into a shallow bowl, the eggs in a second shallow bowl and the breadcrumbs in a third. Using slightly wet hands, form the mix into torpedo shapes, weighing about 25g. Gently roll in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Arrange on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Put in the fridge to chill for at least 30 mins. Will keep covered and frozen for up to three months.
-
step 4
Fill a saucepan no more than a third full with oil. Heat to 180C, or if you don’t have a thermometer, a cube of bread dropped in should brown in 15 seconds. Carefully add a few croquettes to the pan at a time, and cook for 4-5 mins, until golden and crisp. To cook from frozen, fry for 5-6 mins. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon or spider and drain on a wire rack. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and serve with extra cranberry sauce for dipping.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, Christmas 2023
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A star rating of 3.4 out of 5.5 ratings
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