SCALLOP CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Make bechamel sauce: Cook onion in butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened.
• Add flour and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.
• Add milk in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking.
• Add salt and white pepper, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
• Pour béchamel sieve into a bowl and cover surface with a round of wax paper.
• Make croquettes: Preheat oven to 350°F Tear bread into pieces and pulse in a food processor until reduced to fine crumbs.
• Spread 3/4 cup bread crumbs in a shallow baking pan (reserve remaining bread crumbs for coating) and bake, stirring occasionally, until dry but not golden, about 5 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then cook mushrooms and onion with lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, covered, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms give off some liquid and onion is slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add scallops and enough water to just cover them, then bring to a boil over moderate heat.
• Remove from heat and transfer mixture with a slotted spoon to processor, reserving liquid in pan.
• Add cheese and parsley sprigs to processor and pulse until all of mixture is minced, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Boil liquid in pan over high heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons and stir together with 1/3 cup béchamel sauce, reserving leftover sauce for another use.
• Add to scallops, stirring gently, then fold in dried bread crumbs.
• Chill, covered, at least 4 hours.
• To form croquettes: Put flour, egg, and remaining (fresh) bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls and stir remaining 1/4 teaspoons salt and pepper into crumbs.
• Roll level tablespoons of scallop mixture into ovals.
• Working in batches, coat ovals with flour, knocking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and roll in crumbs to coat.
• T.
• ransfer to a wax paper–lined baking pan as coated.
• Cook croquettes: Cut remaining 2 sticks butter into 1-inch pieces and melt in a heavy saucepan over low heat.
• Remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes.
• Skim froth and slowly pour butter into a 10-inch heavy skillet, leaving milky solids in bottom of saucepan.
• Discard milky solids.
• Heat butter over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook croquettes about 6 at a time, turning, until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and serve warm.