Ingredients

• 75g/3oz butter
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• 500ml/18fl oz milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 75g/3oz fresh breadcrumbs
• 150g/5oz cooked chicken
• chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh tarragon
• leaves picked and chopped
• 75g/3oz plain flour
• 2 free-range eggs
• beaten
• 75g/3oz panko Japanese breadcrumbs
• 50g/1¾oz ground almonds
• rapeseed oil
• for deep frying
• 1 large bunch watercress
• to garnish
• 3 free-range egg yolks
• 1-2 tsp English mustard
• 100ml/3½fl oz rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 75g/3oz piquillo peppers
• roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp flatleaf parsley
• roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the croquetas
• melt the butter in a large saucepan
• then whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the milk gradually until you have a very thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the fresh breadcrumbs
• chicken and tarragon
• then place in the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours.
• Shape the chilled mixture into 7cm/2¾in cylinders. Place the flour
• beaten eggs and panko breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Add the ground almonds to the panko breadcrumbs and mix well. Coat each cylinder in the flour
• then egg and finish with a layer of breadcrumbs.
• Add the oil into a deep-fat fryer and preheat to 170C/338F. (Caution: Do not leave hot oil unattended.)
• Deep fry the croquetas in batches until golden-brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
• For the mayonnaise
• whisk the egg yolks with the mustard in a bowl and then gradually add the oil
• whisking continuously. Stir through the vinegar
• piquillo peppers and parsley
• then season with salt and pepper.
• To serve
• put the croquetas on a board with the watercress alongside and a bowl of pepper mayonnaise for dipping.