Cauliflower cheese croquettes

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the cauliflower florets in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil, add 1 bay leaf and season. Roast for 20 minutes. Whizz half the roasted cauliflower in a food processor (or in a bowl using a stick blender) with 150ml of the milk. Roughly chop the remaining florets and set aside.
2. Warm the remaining milk and bay leaf in a saucepan for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another saucepan and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook for 3-4 minutes on a medium-high heat until it smells biscuity. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the milk to make a smooth sauce, then put back on a medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce comes to the boil and is smooth, thick and glossy.
3. Pour the white sauce into a mixing bowl, then stir in the cheddar, nutmeg, spring onions, walnut oil, all the cauliflower and seasoning. Cool, then chill for 2 hours with cling film touching the surface to prevent a skin forming.
4. Put the beaten eggs in one shallow bowl, then mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan in another shallow bowl. With floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the chilled mixture into cylinders, dip first into the egg, then roll in the cheesy breadcrumbs until coated. Set aside on a tray lined with non-stick baking paper.
5. Put the sunflower oil in a large heavy-based pan and put over a medium heat until it reads 180°C on a digital thermometer (or turns a cube of bread golden in 30 seconds). Put a tray lined with kitchen paper near the hob. Fry the croquettes, in batches, for a couple of minutes until golden all over, then lift out with a slotted spoon and put onto the tray to drain. Serve straightaway.