Creamy Crab Croquette

For the Crab and Corn Filling

1. Cut 1 onion in half and thinly slice it with a mandoline slicer or knife. In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat 3 Tbsp unsalted butter on medium-low heat. Add the sliced onion.
2. Sauté until translucent. When the onion is translucent, turn off the heat. Then add ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour).
3. Mix well and then turn the heat back on and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes. Pour in 1¼ cups milk, a little bit at a time, stirring to eliminate lumps.
4. Stir to eliminate lumps and to make a smooth, thick béchamel sauce. Keep stirring over low heat for 5–10 minutes.
5. You want your sauce to be the consistency of thick mustard. Add 1 can real or imitation crabmeat and ½ cup frozen or canned corn and cook off as much moisture as possible while stirring. Season it with 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
6. Take off from the heat and allow to cool.
7. Spread the mixture on the bottom of a baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 1 hour. If you don’t chill the mixture enough, the croquette might explode while deep-frying from the moisture. After 1 hour, divide the chilled mixture into 10 equal portions.

To Make the Patties

1. Prepare three bowls: One with ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour), one with 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) and 2 Tbsp oil, and one with 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). Beat the eggs and oil together. Lightly coat your hands with some of the 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Take each filling portion and make a small round patty, dredge in the flour, dip into the egg, and coat with panko. Repeat with the rest of the filling. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. Tip: Alternatively, you can use a cookie scoop instead of your hands. The scoop makes it easier to handle the soft and sticky filling and form croquettes of the same size. I recommend a large cookie scoop for the job.

To Deep-Fry

1. In a large frying pan, heat ½ inch neutral oil on medium-high heat. When it’s hot (350ºF/180ºC), fix the shape of the croquettes and slip them into the oil to deep-fry. Do not crowd the pan (maybe 4–5 croquettes at a time) and do not disturb them until the bottom side is golden brown. Then, flip and wait until the other side also turns golden brown. Transfer the croquettes onto a paper towel and serve immediately.

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Reheat in the oven or the toaster oven until the outside is crispy and the inside is warm through.