If you are using frozen shrimp, let them first thaw fully. Then remove their heads and peel them. Don't discard any of this. Rinse the peeled shrimp under cold running tap water and let them drain. Transfer the scales and shrimp heads to a medium non-stick pan together with the bay leaf and a tablespoon of the unsalted butter. Season with a little pinch of pepper.

Place the pan over medium heat and gently fry the shrimp heads and scales for about 5 minutes. Stir regularly. Add the garlic to the pan together with a cup (240 ml) of water.

Stir and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat lower and simmer the shrimp sauce for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir regularly. Then take the pan off the heat and let the shrimp heads and sauce cool a little. Then pour all this in a clean blender.

Blend it all into a coarse puree.

Wipe the pan clean and place a sieve in it. Pour the blended shrimp in it and let the mixture drain. Stir and squeeze the shrimp mixture well to get all of the lovely juices out.

Then discard the leftover shrimp pulp. Now pour the shrimp sauce in a measuring cup and add some of the whole milk until you reach 2 cups (480 ml) of milk and shrimp liquid.

Then pour this in a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Don’t let it boil, just heat it through. In the meantime chop up the fresh shrimp you kept aside and add them to the warm prawn milk.

Let the shrimp cook for 2 minutes until cooked. Then remove the bits again using a slotted spoon and put it aside again.

Take the shrimp milk off the heat. Check the seasoning and add extra pepper or salt to it. Melt the rest of the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and then add 2,5 oz (70 g) of plain flour.

Then little by little add the warm shrimp milk to it and stir well in between additions.

Once you have added all of the milk, add the poached shrimp chunks.

Then take the pan off the heat and pour the shrimp filling in a small baking dish. Mine was 6 inches by 7 inches (15 cm x 17,5 cm). Let it cool down fully, then cover the top with some cling film and place this in the fridge to set and chill for at least one night.

Then cut the filling up into 14 even portions.

Then put them all on a plate and place them in the fridge for an hour. Pour the remaining plain flour for breading in another deep plate and coat the shrimp croquettes with it as well.

Let them chill and rest in the fridge for another hour. Beat the eggs in a deep plate and season with some pepper and salt. Coat the chilled shrimp croquettes first with the egg wash.

Repeat this one more time: egg wash and breadcrumbs. Then place the finished shrimp croquettes on a clean plate again and lace them in the fridge to chill for 3 more hours, preferably overnight to get that extra crunchy thick crust. Then fry the shrimp croquettes in batches in hot oil until golden. Don’t add too much of them at a time or the oil will cool down fast once you drop them in it. Serve hot.