Ham croquettes recipe
Croquetas are small, lightly breaded and fried fritters. They are a sure hit as an appetizer or an afternoon snack with a beer or a glass of wine. They are creamy and smooth and very tasty. You can make the dough ahead and freeze it. A very popular Spanish tapa!
Ingredients (makes about 25)
– 250 g Iberico ham Mariscal & Sarroca
– 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Mariscal & Sarroca
– 120 g unsalted butter
– 115 g plain flour
– 1 l full fat milk
– ½ tsp nutmeg
– Salt and pepper for seasoning
– 3 eggs, beaten
– 250 g breadcrumbs
– 1 l oil for deep frying
Directions.
Cut the ham into small pieces, heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed plan and gently fry the ham for about 10 minutes, until any fat has been largely rendered off. Stir in the flour and continue to cook, over a low heat, for a further 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Put the milk into a pan and gently warm to just below a simmer. Gradually beat the warm milk into the ham and flour mixture, stirring all the time to form a smooth béchamel. Continue to cook and stir for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and black pepper.
Remove from heat, transfer mixture to a container and leave to cook slightly, cover with cling film, pressing it down to the surface of the béchamel to prevent a skin forming. Put in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.
To make the croquetas, have the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl, followed by the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl, and an tray where to arrange the finished croquetas.
Using your hands, form a golfball sized sphere with the béchamel. Dip it into the egg, coat well with the breadcrumbs and leave to rest on the tray. Repeat until all the mixture has been used.
Heat the oil in a large pan or deep fryer and fry the croquetas in batches for about 2-3 minutes until heated through and golden brown. Remove from the oil, drain on kitchen paper and serve at once while still hot.
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*Croquette Photo Source www.flickr.com
Photo Author Flickr.com user “deramaenrama”