Chorizo & Cheese Croquettes Recipe

Our Turkey Burgers are on special offer this week, and we've found the perfect accompaniment. These chorizo and cheese croquettes are crispy on the outside, gloriously melty within, and pair beautifully with a rich red wine dipping sauce. We think they're far more interesting than fries!

Ingredients

• 2 cups mashed potato
• 140g Spanish chorizo, finely chopped
• 225g mature cheddar, freshly grated
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1½ cups plain breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika

For the red wine dipping sauce

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup red wine
• ¼ cup brown sugar

Method

1. Mix the smoked paprika with 1 tsp of the salt in a small bowl and set aside — this is your finishing seasoning.
2. Make the dipping sauce: combine the balsamic vinegar, red wine, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5–8 minutes until thickened and glossy. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the mashed potato, chorizo, cheddar, the remaining ¼ tsp salt, and the black pepper. Mix well.
4. Set up a breading station: flour in one shallow bowl, the egg beaten with the water in a second, and breadcrumbs in a third.
5. Heat vegetable oil to a depth of about 7–8cm in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium-high heat. You're aiming for 177°C/350°F.
6. Shape the potato mixture into 5cm logs. Coat each one in flour, dip in the egg wash, then roll in breadcrumbs until fully covered.
7. Fry in batches for around 2 minutes, turning to colour evenly on all sides until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
8. Dust with the paprika salt while still hot and serve immediately alongside the red wine dipping sauce.