A proper family dinner

For a change last night we all had the same thing for dinner - me, my sister and our humans, Annie and Martin. We all had cod. Granted ours was frozen block, zapped in the microwave and served with cat biscuits, while theirs was home-salted bacalao formed into croquetas, fried in olive oil and accompanied by a green salad, stewed mushrooms, patatas bravas and cornbread. And while Chutney and I had a bowl of tap water between us, A and M had gin and tonic, white wine, red wine and, I think, brandy.

The croquetas looked and smelled excellent. They're nothing like the fried potato nonsense the British mean when they talk about "croquettes", but instead they're made with a kind of stiff bechamel sauce. Salt cod is a popular ingredient, but they are often made with left-over chicken or cooked ham. The principle is the same in any case. To make about six you need:
- 1 tbs oil (extra virgin olive, naturally)
- 2 tbs plain white flour
- 150 gs of salt cod (or whatever else you're using)
- 1/4 litre of milk
- an egg
- breadcrumbs
- black pepper
- oil for deep-frying

Warm the tbs of oil in a frying pan and add the flour off the heat. Work it with a wooden spoon to amalgamate, put it back on a low flame, then add the milk, drop by drop (it works better if the milk is hot). You should end up with a thick paste, something like the consistency of cream cheese. Cook the bacalao in water or milk as normal, then drain and cut or shred into little pieces. Add a little pepper if you fancy it - but no salt, as the cod is salty already - and mix the fish in well.

Chill the mixture in the fridge. When it's cold and stiff, it will be quite easy to form into balls; or better still, oval shapes. Dip each one in beaten egg and breadcrumbs and deep fry until golden. Serve. This is only enough for a tapa for two people, and you can obviously multiply the ingredients to make more. However, these deliciously rich, salty little morsels are best served in small quantities alongside other dishes, as they would be in a Spanish bar.