Small, oval croquettes with a creamy béchamel filling full of finely chopped serrano ham, crisply breaded and deep-fried. Found in every Spanish tapas bar, and the Spanish take on the croquette.
Croquetas de jamón
Croquetas de jamón
Method
01
Sweat the onion
Melt a knob of the butter and sweat the onion very gently until translucent, without colouring.
02
Make a roux
Add the rest of the butter, melt it and stir in the flour to a smooth roux. Cook for 2 minutes without colouring.
03
Make the béchamel
Add the milk little by little, stirring with a whisk, to a thick, smooth béchamel without lumps. Leave to simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring all the time.
04
Finish the filling
Stir in the jamón and nutmeg. Season with white pepper and, if needed, salt (the ham is already salty).
05
Chill until firm
Spoon the mixture into a shallow dish, smooth the top, cover with cling film directly on the surface and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, until very firm.
06
Shape and bread
With wet hands, shape small oval croquettes of approx. 30 g. Dip them through the flour, then the beaten egg, and finally the breadcrumbs.
07
Deep-fry
Heat plenty of sunflower oil to 180 °C. Deep-fry the croquettes in batches for 2–3 minutes until deep golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
08
Serve
Serve immediately, piping hot.
Tips & notes
A very firm, cold béchamel is the key to a creamy, non-leaking croqueta; don't rush this cooling process. Freeze the shaped, breaded croquettes for later use; you can then deep-fry them straight from the freezer with a few minutes' extra time.
Variations
- Replace the jamón with leftover chicken or mushrooms for croquetas de pollo or de setas.
- Add 50 g of grated Manchego cheese to the béchamel for extra creaminess.
Contains:
Gluten
Eggs
Milk
Serve with
- Pan con tomate
- Tortilla española (de patatas)
| Calories | 97 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Fat | 4 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
