Glamorgan sausages — crisp meatless leek, cheese and mustard croquettes

Halve the leek lengthwise, rinse sand thoroughly from between the layers and dry. Weigh 200 g prepared white and pale green parts, then chop very finely. Process soft white bread with its tender crust into fine fresh crumbs. Weigh 150 g for the mixture and 100 g for coating separately. Do not dry the bread, do not toast it and do not replace it with dried breadcrumbs.

Melt all 15 g butter in a skillet over low heat without browning. Add all the chopped leek and cook about 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and the raw firmness is gone. Do not let it burn or brown deeply. By the end, no watery liquid should stand in the pan. Do not add water and do not drain off butter; everything from the pan goes into the mixture.

Transfer the leek to a wide bowl, scraping all the butter from the skillet with a spatula. Leave about 15–20 minutes until no longer warm. Meanwhile, finely grate 150 g cheddar. Choose cheese made with non-animal rennet to keep the croquettes meatless and suitable for vegetarians. Do not mix egg with hot leek and do not reserve any cheese for later decoration.

Add all 150 g cheese, 150 g fresh crumbs, 50 g egg without shell, 15 g ready-made mustard, 1 g salt and 0.5 g pepper to the cooled leek. Mix thoroughly with a spatula, then briefly bring together by hand. Rest about 10 minutes so the bread absorbs moisture. The mixture should hold a firm shape when squeezed. Do not add milk or water, do not add flour and do not add another egg.

Divide all the mixture into eight portions as evenly as possible, collecting all edible remnants from the bowl. Shape firm rolls about 8 cm long and about 3 cm thick, flattening the sides slightly. Smooth cracks so cheese does not easily leak out during frying. Do not make large thick sausages. Do not grease your hands with extra oil and do not dust the worktop with flour or dried breadcrumbs.

Beat the additional 50 g egg in a shallow bowl and spread the additional 100 g fresh crumbs on a plate. Roll each croquette in egg, let excess drip off, then coat evenly in crumbs and press gently. Arrange on a paper-lined tray. Discard leftover egg and crumbs that have contacted raw egg; they are not part of the servings. Do not add milk or flour to the coating.

Refrigerate the tray of eight coated croquettes for about an hour to firm the mixture and coating. Do not stack them. Toward the end of chilling, prepare a heavy skillet about 24 cm across, a wide spatula and a plate lined with paper towel. Weigh the oil in two portions of 20 g. Do not replace chilling with brief frying over very high heat.

Heat the skillet over medium heat, add the first 20 g oil and spread a thin layer over the base. The oil should be hot but not smoking. Carefully add four croquettes, leaving room between them for turning. Reduce to medium-low once the coating starts gently sizzling. This is shallow-frying in a thin layer of oil, without submerging the rolls in a deep bath.

Fry the first batch about 12–15 minutes, gently turning with a wide spatula every few minutes until all sides are golden and crisp. Maintain a gentle sizzle; fast darkening means the heat is too high. Allow time for the centers to heat fully and the egg to set; do not stop just because one side has browned. Do not pierce the rolls and do not press them against the skillet.

Transfer the first four to paper towel for about a minute, then serve without leaving them long on damp paper. Add the second weighed 20 g oil to the skillet and fry the remaining four the same way for about 12–15 minutes. Total frying time for both batches is about 25–30 minutes. Do not add more fat beyond the specified 40 g. Oil left in the skillet and on the towel is not served with the dish.

Serve two freshly fried croquettes per portion, making four servings without extra sauce, salad or decorations. The coating is best straight away while the center is warm. Once cooled, place leftovers in a closed container and refrigerate within 2 hours at the latest. Eat within 2 days; reheat in the oven until the centers are clearly hot, allowing for a less crisp coating.