Traditional Spanish Dishes
Marisa Sanchez's Best Recipe in Spanish Style
Ham croquettes with a smooth bechamel, crunchy coating, and creamy interior. A traditional Spanish tapa that requires resting and brief frying to achieve a balanced texture.
Prepare homemade ham croquettes with enriched bechamel, light breading, and controlled frying. The cold rest helps to give them shape and maintain a creamy filling.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓80 g of finely chopped serrano ham
- ✓80 g of butter
- ✓800 ml of whole milk
- ✓50 g of finely chopped onion
- ✓80 g of wheat flour for bechamel
- ✓100 g of wheat flour for breading
- ✓2 large eggs
- ✓150 g of breadcrumbs
- ✓750 ml of mild olive oil for frying
- ✓1 pinch of nutmeg
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of salt
- ✓1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Heat milk and butter
Heat the whole milk in a saucepan over medium heat, without letting it boil. Meanwhile, slowly melt the butter in a large saucepan.
- 02
Poach onion and flour
Add the onion and cook for 6 or 7 minutes, until it is transparent and tender, without browning. Incorporate the 80 g of flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook it.
- 03
Add the milk
Pour the hot milk gradually, in several batches, while constantly stirring. Keep the medium-low heat until the mixture is smooth; then add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- 04
Season the bechamel
Mix the seasonings with the bechamel once all the milk has been incorporated.
- 05
Cook until thickened
Cook the bechamel for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring especially the bottom and corners. It will be ready when it slightly detaches from the walls and the spatula's groove takes a moment to close.
- 06
Add the ham
Incorporate the chopped serrano ham and mix for 2 minutes. If it is very cured, taste the mixture before adding more salt.
- 07
Chill the mixture
Transfer the mixture to a large dish and cover it with plastic wrap in contact with the surface. Let it cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- 08
Prepare the breading
Place the flour in a plate, beat the eggs in another, and put the breadcrumbs in a third.
- 09
Shape the croquettes
Take similar portions of cold mixture with a spoon and give them an oval shape with your hands. Try to make them all uniform in size.
- 10
Bread each piece
Pass each croquette through flour and shake off excess. Then, pass it through beaten egg and finally through breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere the coating.
- 11
Heat the oil
Heat the mild olive oil until it reaches between 175 and 180 °C. Fry in small batches to avoid lowering the temperature; without a thermometer, check that a bread crumb bubbles immediately and browns slowly.
- 12
Fry until golden
Fry each batch for 2 or 3 minutes, carefully turning the croquettes, until they present a uniform golden color.
- 13
Drain and cool
Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper. Wait 1 minute before serving, as the interior will be very hot.
- 14
Serve the croquettes
Serve the freshly made croquettes, alone or accompanied by a simple salad.
- 15
Freeze for later
To preserve them, place the breaded croquettes separated on a tray, freeze them, and then store them in a container. Fry them directly frozen, in small batches, and over moderate heat.
- Cook the flour with the butter before adding the milk to avoid a raw flavor.
- Add the hot milk gradually and stir constantly to obtain a smooth mixture.
- Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours; leaving it overnight facilitates shaping.
- Fry in small batches with the oil between 175 and 180 °C.
- If the croquettes open, the mixture may be too cold, the coating incomplete, or the oil too cold.
- If you use very cured ham, taste the mixture before correcting the salt.
- You can freeze the breaded croquettes and fry them directly without thawing.