Ham and croquetas

The restaurant's most popular dish.

MAKES ABOUT 30 CROQUETAS
good quality Serrano ham 250g in one piece
olive oil 4 dssp
unsalted butter 120g
plain flour 115g
full-fat milk 1 litre
grated nutmeg ½ tsp
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
eggs 3, beaten
breadcrumbs 250g
oil for deep frying 1 litre

Cut the ham into 0.5cm cubes. Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan and gently fry the ham for about 10 minutes, until any fat has been largely rendered off. Stir in the flour and continue to cook over a low heat for a further 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Put the milk into a pan and gently warm to just below a simmer. Gradually beat the warm milk into the ham and flour mixture, stirring all the time to form a smooth bechamel. Continue to cook and stir for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and black pepper.

Remove from heat, transfer mixture to a container and leave to cool slightly. Cover with clingfilm, pressing it down on to the surface of the bechamel to prevent a skin forming. Put in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.

To make the croquetas, arrange a little production line: first the container of bechamel, then the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl, followed by the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl, and lastly a tray for the finished croquetas.

Using your hands, form a golfball-sized sphere with the bechamel. Dip it into the egg, coat well with the breadcrumbs and leave to rest on the tray. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Heat the oil to 180C in a large pan or a deep fryer and fry the croquetas in batches for about 2 to 3 minutes until heated through and golden brown. Remove from the oil, drain on kitchen paper and serve at once while still good and hot.

Sardines with garlic and chilli

Be sure to find the very best sardines. You are looking for a pert and shiny, red-tinged eye and a good glistening, firm silver body

SERVES 4 AS A STARTER
freshest sardines 1kg, 2-3 each, depending on size, de-scaled and gutted
extra virgin olive oil 75ml
garlic 4 cloves, peeled and finely chopped
dried chillies (Guindilla Roja can be found in Spanish delicatessens) 2, soaked in warm water for 1 hour, dried and roughly chopped
flat-leaf parsley 2 dssp finely chopped
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
lemon 1

Marinate the sardines in 50ml of olive oil, garlic, chillies and parsley for 2 hours. If you don't own a plancha, heat the heaviest-bottomed or non-stick pan over a high heat. Drizzle the remaining oil into the pan and heat until it starts to smoke. Reduce the heat a little and add the sardines, and season. Cook for 30-40 seconds each side, remove from pan. Serve with wedges of lemon.