Method

• 1.
  Heat the olive oil in a frypan over a low heat and gently fry the onion with the bay leaf for 15 minutes until really lovely and soft. Add the white wine and hake to the pan, then increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• 2.
  Scoop out the hake and onion with a slotted spoon. Reserve 150ml of the cooking juices and set aside, discarding the bay leaf. Place the hake and onion in a food processor and whiz to combine.
• 3.
  To make the bechamel sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes, then gradually add the reserved cooking juices, followed by the milk, stirring continuously until you have a very thick, smooth sauce. Season well, then stir in the whizzed hake and onions. Mix together, then spoon into a dish and chill for at least 2 hours.
• 4.
  Once chilled, take spoonfuls of the mixture (about 30g) and shape each one into an oval. Put the flour in one shallow dish, the egg in a second and the breadcrumbs in a third. Dust each croqueta with flour, then coat in egg and finally in crumbs. Place them on a baking tray and chill until ready to cook (you can also freeze them at this point).
• 5.
  Pour vegetable oil into a large, deep saucepan and heat to 180°C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
• 6.
  Fry the croquetas a few at a time, cooking them for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and piping hot. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
• 7.
  Sprinkle with salt flakes and repeat with remaining croquettes. Serve with the aioli.