DAILY DINNERS

On a medium-high heat, melt 30g butter in a large saucepan for which you have a lid, then fry the shallots for 2-3 mins, until golden brown. Add the prawns, fry for a minute, then pour over 300ml just-boiled water. Cover and cook for 2 mins, until the prawns are just cooked, then strain the liquid into a bowl, pressing down on the prawns with the back of a spoon to extract as much flavour as possible: you should end up with about 340ml of prawn stock.

Leave the cooked prawns to cool a little, then peel and devein them. Discard the prawns skins and the shallots, and chop the flesh into roughly 0.5cm pieces.

Put the remaining 80g butter in a medium saucepan on a medium heat and, once it starts to foam, stir in 110g flour and cook for 3 mins, stirring constantly. Add the prawn stock bit by bit, until combined, then add the milk, also in instalments. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the sauce for 8 mins, stirring, until it's thick and shiny.

Squeeze the water out of the soaking gelatine leaves, add them to the béchamel , then take the pan off the heat and stir to dissolve. Stir in the egg yolks, cream, paprika, herbs and chopped prawns, and add an 8th of a teaspoon of white pepper and 3/4 of a tsp of salt, then leave to cool.

Using 2 dessert spoons, divide the béchamel mix into 60g portions, and place on 2 plates lined with greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for at least an hour, to firm up, then wet your hands (this stops the mix the mix sticking to them) and roll each portion into a 3cm-wide x 7cm long sausage. Refrigerate again while you prepare the coating.

In a small bowl, gently whisk the remaining flour into the egg whites. Put the fine panko in a second bowl and the unblitzed panko in a third. Roll one prawn sausage first in the fine panko, then in the egg white and then in the coarse panko, making sure it is properly coated with each layer, and put on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with the remaining sausages.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on a medium flame. To check it's at the right temperature, drop a pinch of panko into the pan: the oil is ready if it turns golden-brown within 10 seconds (if you have a thermometer, you're looking to get the oil to 180C) Fry a few croquettes at a tie - don't overcrowd the pan, for a total of 3 mins, turning them once halfway (be gentle), until crisp and golden brown all over. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack lined with kitchen paper, to absorb any excess oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt & repeat with the remaining croquettes. Serve hot with lemon wedges alongside.