Ham Croquettes
Appetizers Easter Recipes Spanish
A second suggestion for the upcoming Easter. Creamy inside and crispy outside. With a slightly smoky taste from the ham I used. But ham isn't the only option for this recipe! What about smoked chicken breast or grilled fish?
In the ham version, they should be served alongside something fresh: a raw vegetable salad or onion.
Ingredients
50g ham (salted and dry-cured)
1 egg
breadcrumbs
plenty of oil for frying
Bechamel sauce
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon very finely chopped onion
25g butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
125ml hot milk
1 pinch nutmeg
salt, pepper
Yield: 10 pieces
How to prepare ham croquettes
- Chop the ham very, very finely. Being a dry-cured ham, it can be tough, so it's important to cut it fine. I grated half of it on the large grater, and chopped the rest finely with a knife. You can also grind the ham in a food processor, especially if preparing a larger quantity. Spaniards use Serrano ham for these croquettes, but I used a dry-cured Mangalica pork tenderloin which was also slightly smoked.
- Prepare the bechamel sauce: heat the oil and saute the onion, chopped as finely as possible, until it almost becomes translucent. Add the butter and follow the bechamel sauce preparation steps described here. At step 4, however, let the sauce cook for more than 1 minute... it needs to thicken until you feel it gathering around the whisk. It will take about 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from heat.
- Add the minced ham to the sauce and mix well. Finally, season with salt, pepper (white if you prefer; I used black) and nutmeg.
- Pour the sauce into a container with a lid and refrigerate for several hours (or overnight) until it hardens and can be shaped. It can be kept for 2 days in the refrigerator.
- Turn the hardened sauce onto a work surface. Cut it into roughly equal rectangles (I cut it into 10 pieces).
- Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water/milk and a little salt in a bowl. Put plenty of breadcrumbs in a wide plate.
- Take each piece of dough and shape it into a ball or roll (I find the roll easier, because I just rub the rectangles a bit between my palms). Dip the roll in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Make sure it's well covered with breadcrumbs on all sides, otherwise there's a risk it will break and leak when you fry them... so be thorough with the breadcrumbs. Form all the croquettes. They can be kept in the refrigerator until you want to fry them.
- Heat plenty of oil very well. Fry the croquettes in a bath of oil (it's better if you don't have to turn them when frying because they're very fragile; an oil bath is ideal). They fry very quickly (about 30 seconds). When golden, remove them with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Serve warm.
Minced ham
Ham in the bechamel sauce
Final sauce consistency
In container to cool
Cutting dough into equal rectangles
Croquettes coated in egg and breadcrumbs
Frying croquettes in hot oil
Removing onto paper towels
Hot croquettes (cross-section)
