Smoked Dapple and ham hock croquettes, fig caramel, torched fig, cox apple

Start by making the béchamel – add the flour and butter to a saucepan over a low heat and whisk until combined, and it starts to go golden brown. Add in the cream and milk, regularly mixing. Once the mixture begins to bubble, throw in the ham hock and the grated cheese. You want the mixture to be firm but pipeable.

Once the desired texture has formed, set aside to cool, then roll out two layers of clingfilm onto a clean surface. Pipe the béchamel onto the clingfilm, roughly the size of a £2 coin. Wrap the clingfilm around and roll into a cylinder, holding both ends. Put in the fridge for at least four hours to set.

Once set, portion out the croquettes to your desired size. Then, bread the croquettes, first rolling in flour, then dipped in whisked eggs, finally shaken in the panko. Put the breaded croquettes on parchment and in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the dish.

To make the fig caramel, heat the sugar in a flat pan, covered slightly with water. Dice five of the figs. Once the caramel starts to bubble and turn brown, add the figs and remove from the heat. Watch the caramel as once it turns dark brown, it will create a bitter taste. Once you have added the figs, blitz the caramel and pass through a sieve.

Quarter the final fig, glaze with sugar, and blowtorch until caramelised. You can roast in the oven for 10 minutes if you don’t have a blowtorch.

Julienne the apple for garnish.

Once all elements are ready, remove the croquettes from the fridge and deep fry until golden brown. Dot the caramel around the plate, placing the croquettes onto the caramel to secure them on the plate. Plate the figs and apple and enjoy with a cold lager – the perfect beer snack