Ham and Cheese croquettes Pyjamas

• 115 g butter
• 215 g plain flour
• 450 ml milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 125 g block mozzarella, grated
• 100 g gruyère cheese, grated
• 100 g cooked ham, very finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 100 g very fine, dry breadcrumbs
• sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• 
  

1. Make a roux by melting the butter in a small saucepan on a low-medium heat then adding 115g of the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, then leave to cool.

2. Pour the milk into a saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Whisk in the roux, a little at a time, until it is well blended. Simmer until the mixture thickens and forms a smooth white sauce.

3. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool a little. Stir in the egg yolks, both cheeses, the ham and chives and allow to cool completely, when the mixture will become putty-like.

4. To prepare the coating, put the remaining 100g flour on a plate or in a bowl and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Beat the egg in a separate bowl and put the breadcrumbs on another plate or in a bowl.

5. Mould the cooled sauce into about 30 sausage shapes or round balls. Toss each one in flour, dip in the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs to coat.

6. Fill a deep-fat fryer with sunflower oil and heat to 170C. (If the oil is any hotter, the filling tends to leak out.) The cheese balls can also be shallow-fried: pour the oil into a deep, medium saucepan to a depth of 2cm and heat to 170C, checking the temperature with a thermometer (see Cook’s Tips). When the oil is at the right temperature, deep-fry the cheese balls in small batches for about 8 minutes, turning them a few times in the oil until rich golden in colour. Drain on kitchen paper.

7. Serve immediately, with tomato relish.