Ingredients

• 90g/3½oz butter
• 50g/2oz thinly sliced Spanish air-dried serrano ham
• roughly chopped
• 110g/4oz flour
• plus 75g/3oz extra for coating
• 500ml/18floz full-fat milk
• 75g/3oz cooked chicken breast meat
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 free-range egg
• hard-boiled
• peeled and finely chopped
• 2 free-range eggs
• beaten
• 200g/7oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• made from crustless day-old bread left out overnight
• vegetable oil
• for deep-frying
• 1 head of crunchy lettuce
• such as Little Gem
• romaine or continental
• 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
• cut into wedges or sliced
• 4 spring onions or salad onions
• trimmed and thinly sliced
• 8 spears canned or jarred asparagus
• drained
• 1 x 200g/7oz can or jar of tuna in olive oil
• drained and flaked
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• to taste
• 2 free-range eggs
• hard-boiled
• quartered
• 16 green olives

Directions

• For the croquettes
• melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat
• add the ham and leave to cook gently for a minute or two to soften.
• Stir in 110g/4oz of the flour and cook for one minute
• then very gradually stir in the milk
• a little at a time
• beating really well between each addition so that the mixture becomes silky smooth.
• Increase the heat slightly
• bring to the boil
• and leave to cook gently
• whisking constantly
• for five minutes
• to cook out the flour.
• Stir in the chicken and one teaspoon of salt
• or to taste
• then stir in the hard-boiled egg.
• Scrape the mixture into a bowl
• press a sheet of cling film onto the surface
• and chill in the fridge
• for at least six hours but ideally overnight
• until really firm.
• When you are ready to make the croquettes
• lightly flour the palms of your hands and for each croquette shape 1½ tablespoons of the chilled mixture into a ball
• and then roll into a cork-shaped barrel. You should make about 24 croquettes. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile for the salad
• remove and discard the outer leaves of the lettuce if necessary. Break the remainder into approximately 7cm/3in pieces
• wash and dry well
• in a salad spinner if you have one.
• Spread the leaves over four medium-sized plates and arrange the tomatoes
• onion and asparagus on top.
• Scatter the flaked tuna over the centre of each plate.
• Whisk the red wine vinegar and olive oil together with the salt to taste and drizzle over the salads.
• Garnish with the hard-boiled eggs and green olives.
• Heat some oil for deep-frying to 190C/375F. (Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Never leave unattended.)
• Put the remaining 75g/3oz flour
• egg and breadcrumbs into three separate shallow trays or bowls.
• Take the croquettes from the fridge and dip them four or five at a time into the flour
• then the beaten egg and then the breadcrumbs. Lower them into the hot oil and cook for not quite two minutes until crisp and lightly golden-brown. You can tell when they are done because as they cook they begin to make a different noise in the fryer.
• Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside on plenty of kitchen paper to drain briefly. Serve while they are still hot.
• To serve
• pile the hot croquettes straight onto a plate with a spoonful of salad alongside.