Prepared by Bill Schildpatt, Executive Chef, Best Western Conference Centre Chilliwack & Sharon Touchet, Culinary Arts Instructor, Chilliwack Senior Secondary School

Yield: 2 - 3 Dozen

Ingredients

• 10 Strips Johnston’s Bacon
• 6 Roma Tomatoes, Ripe
• 2 - 3 Cups Arborio (Italian Rice), Cooked in chicken stock & quality white wine
• 2 Cups Bread Crumbs, Seasoned with kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
• ¼ Cup Chives, Chopped
• ¼ tsp Thyme
• 3 Eggs
• 3 Cups Milk
• ½ Cup Aged Cheddar, Cubed
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 Shallots, Minced
• 8 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ Cup Fresh Basil, Cut into thin strips
• 1 Lemon
• 2 Tbsp Roux (equal parts flour & butter) to thicken

Cooking Directions

1. Aurore Sauce: Cook shallots in medium hot pan. Add tomato paste and brown. Add 2 cups milk and simmer lightly stirring constantly. Thicken with cool roux and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
2. Croquettes:
3. Cut tomatoes in half and rub with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.
4. Bake in oven at 375° for 1 hour.
5. Fry Johnston’s Bacon strips medium crisp.
6. Add 1 egg (to bind), chives, and thyme, to cooked rice.
7. Cool bacon and chop.
8. Peel and seed cooled tomatoes, then chop medium.
9. Mix tomato with cheddar and Johnston’s Bacon.
10. Take a golf ball sized portion of rice and flatten in hand, forming an impression in center, then add 1 tablespoon of tomato mixture to form croquette.
11. Bread croquette (standard breading station) then sauté crispy in olive oil over medium heat.
12. Nape with Aurore sauce and garnish with fresh basil and squeeze of lemon