Step 1

Make béchamel sauce :  put butter in a pan and melt over low heat. When small bubbles appear, add flour and mix well with a wooden spatula. Fry the butter and flour slowly without coloring to eliminate the powderiness. It will take about 5 minutes the mixture becomes fluffy and airy.

Step 2

Add milk to butter and flour mixture in 2-3 portions. Each time you add milk, mix it with a whisk quickly and cook until it's smooth and fluffy. After adding all the milk, boil it over low heat and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir with spatula continuously so that it does not burn.

Step 3

Add ham strips to béchamel sauce. Mixing over medium heat, and add a little nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4

Pour the sauce mixture into a mold and lightly coat the surface of the béchamel sauce mixture with a little butter to avoid drying. When it cools, wrap the surface with cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Step 5

Make tomato sauce : heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add garlic.  Fry garlic for a couple of minutes and add canned tomato, herbs and chicken soup powder. Simmer tomatoes sauce for about 10 minutes over low heat.

Step 6

Remove the pan from heat and use a hand blender to make a smooth puree.  Put it back over the heat, warm it lightly, and add one teaspoon sugar, a little salt and pepper to taste.

Step 7

Start to heat oil to 170C – 338F in a wok or deep frying pan.

Step 8

Remove the béchamel sauce mixture from the fridge and divide into 8 equal parts. Lightly apply salad oil to your hands and gently play catch from one hand to the other and back to remove the air inside. Shape them into any shape you like (bale, oval, rectangular etc).Cover the filling with flour, dip it in the beaten eggs. Then cover it with bread crumbs or panko. The whole croquette should be coated evenly.

Step 9

Gently slide the 2 croquettes into the oil each time and fry until golden brown ( 3 – 4 minutes). (Leave it for a while and turn it over when the surface hardens.)

Step 10

Serve Japanese cream croquettes with tomato sauce and some fresh vegetables.