Description
Croquetas, a common dish all over Spain, are served hot or room temperature for lunch and dinner or as an appetizer or tapa. Everyone makes them at home and keeps a stash in the cooler. The fillings often come from leftovers ranging from chicken to salt cod. There are a few steps to croquetas, but they can be prepared in stages. And once they’re rolled and coated, they can be frozen then fried any time for a 10-minute meal or appetizer. They’re best eaten with cold beer; a lager or pilsner would be great.
Ingredients
Béchamel
Ingredients
Source: Béchamel
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup very finely chopped onion
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Fry Coating
- 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (batter)
- 1 large egg
- Canola oil, for frying
Fillings
Ham
- 8 ounces very thinly sliced Serrano ham, torn into small shreds
Chicken
- 2½ Cups finely shredded chicken
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
Method
Béchamel
3. Add the ham and stir for 2 minutes to draw out some of the moisture. Spread the mixture on a half-sheet pan and refrigerate, uncovered, until cold.Method
Source: Béchamel
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft but not at all browned, about 15 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously, just until the raw flour smell dissipates, about 1 minute.
- Continue whisking while adding the milk a little at a time to prevent the mixture from clumping. Whisk in the cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then boil for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking the whole time.
Shape and Fry
- Roll 1 heaping tablespoon of the croqueta mixture into a football shape. It should be about 2 inches long and 1 inch in diameter at its thickest point. Repeat with the remaining mixture. If the mixture has softened in the process, refrigerate until firm.
- Process the panko in a food processor into fine crumbs, then transfer to a shallow dish. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water in another shallow dish and place the flour in a third dish. Working with 4 or 5 pieces at a time, coat in flour and shake off excess, then coat with egg and let excess drip off. Finally, dredge in the panko to completely cover. Transfer to a wax-paper-lined half-sheet pan. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze the coated croquettes. When frozen rock hard, transfer to airtight containers and freeze for up to 1 month.
- When ready to cook, fill a cast-iron skillet with canola oil to a depth of ½ inch. Heat over high heat until you see ripples forming on the surface. Drop in one croquette to test the oil temperature. If it does not begin to sizzle immediately, then remove the croquette right away and wait until the oil gets hot enough. Add just enough croquette to fit in a single layer without crowding and reduce the heat to medium.
- Fry, using a fork or spoon to carefully turn the croquettes to brown on all sides, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining croquettes.
- Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. You don’t want to burn your tongue, and the croquettes taste great when completely cooled, too. Serve them hot, warm, or at room temperature.