Spanish Jamón Croquetas Recipes

CROQUETAS DE JAMON RECIPE - SPANISH HAM CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Heat up four tablespoons (around 60 grams) of unsalted butter and 1/4 cup (about 60 milliliters) of extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Keep the flame low and let the butter meltdown before adding anything else.
• Once the butter is completely melted and hot, add one medium-sized onion (very finely diced) to the pan. Sauté for about five to six minutes and move on to the next step as soon as the onion slices start to gain some color.
• Once the onion shows some color, add a pinch of salt and nutmeg to the pan and mix everything thoroughly.
• Add the finely diced Serrano ham to the pan. Mix everything again and cook the ham for a maximum of one minute. Keep stirring the pan to ensure nothing gets burnt.
• Add one cup of flour (approximately 120 grams) to the mixture and sauté everything constantly to avoid any unnecessary burns.
• Keep stirring the mixture repeatedly to cook the flour as much as possible, while also not burning it. Once the paste starts showing a creamy brown color, it is time to add milk to the paste.
• Add a bit of milk to the brownish paste and mix everything again.
• Continue adding milk to the paste little by little every time for the next 15-20 minutes to thicken the paste. Each time the mixture in your pan dries up, add more milk to it. Stir constantly all the time you're adding more and more milk until the dough is creamy and thick enough.
• Pour the dough into a large bowl and let it cool down to room temperature. Afterwards, cover the bowl with plastic wrap (directly over the dough) and store it in the fridge for at least four hours. For better results and taste, leave the paste covered with plastic wrap in the fridge overnight.
• When the croquette dough is thick and cold, begin forming small croquette logs and place them on a plate.
• Prepare three separate bowls with flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs respectively. Start by cover the croquettes one by one in flour, then eggs, and then bread crumbs.
• Heat up extra virgin olive oil and ensure it gets hot, but not too hot or the croquettes will burn. Start heavy frying the croquettes and do NOT forget to turn them around so that they get evenly brown on all sides.
• Once they are nicely fried, remove the croquettes from the pan and drain on paper towels to let them soak up all the extra oil and cool down. Once cool enough, you can begin enjoying these delicious bites with your friends and family.

CROQUETAS DE JAMON (SPANISH HAM CROQUETTES)

Steps:

• Melt butter and oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add the flour and stir to moisten it completely. Sauté the flour until it begins to turn a light brown color 2-3 min.
• Add the milk a little by a little, stirring constantly to incorporate each addition, until you have added it all. (At first, it will look like you won't be able to get a smooth sauce, but continue working your sauce with a rubber spatula as you add a little milk at a time and it will smooth out.) Reduce the heat to medium low as needed, if your milk seems to scald before you can mix it into the roux. Continue heating the mixture as needed until it is creamy, thick, and smooth.
• Add the diced ham and nutmeg. Mix well.
• Taste your mixture and add salt as necessary.
• Remove your mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly
• Transfer the croqueta dough into a casserole dish and cover it with plastic wrap (or a lid). Refrigerate the dough overnight.
• Place the beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in a second, wide bowl.
• (We found it easiest to shape all the croquettas first and then bread them. But, if you have extra hands in the kitchen, now is a good time to employ their help, assembly-line-style.)
• Working with roughly 2 Tbsp of dough at a time, shape the chilled dough into little, fat thumbs. (Your hands will get sticky while shaping the dough. Keeping them lightly floured helps to cut down on the stickiness.)
• Dip each croqueta, one at a time, in the beaten egg, turning to coat.
• Then, roll it in the breadcrumbs, pressing to coat.
• Place the breaded croquetas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all the croquetas are breaded, place your baking sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, to firm them up slightly.
• At this point you can heat ½ inch of vegetable oil over med high heat in a shallow skillet. (When you drop a little flour or bread crumbs into the oil and they sizzle, the oil is ready.)
• Fry your chilled croquetas in batches, making sure not to crowd the oil, 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
• Remove the croquetas from the frying pan and place them on a paper towel lined platter to cool slightly.
• Serve warm!
• Once the croquetas are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container until you are ready to fry them up.
• To fry your croquetas from well-frozen, let them thaw on the counter for 10-15 minutes before frying.

SPANISH JAMóN CROQUETAS

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a saucepan, add the cloves, peppercorns, shallot and bay leaf. Bring to a light simmer over a moderate heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the proscuitto. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly then remove from the heat.
• In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over a moderate heat. Stir in the flour to create a crumbly texture. Cook, stirring constantly for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat Then pour in half the ham/milk mixture. Stir well. Pour in the remaining mixture and stir again. Spoon the sticky mixture onto a plate and smooth out. Leave to completely cool.
• Arrange 2 shallow bowls, one with the beaten egg, the next with the breadcrumbs. Take a small golf ball sized piece of the ham mixture and mould into a croquette shape. Dip into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Arrange on a plate as you contnue, using up all of the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan until hot. Drop in 4-5 croquetas and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or cold.
• The perfect tapas dish eaten either hot or cold. They can also be made in advance and warmed in the oven for about 15 minutes.

HAM & CHEESE CROQUETAS

Steps:

• To make the croquetas, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and gently fry the onion for 3 mins or until lightly coloured. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 secs. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, and cook over a low heat for 5 mins until thick and glossy. Stir in the ham, cheese, mustard and cream, and season to taste. Cook for 1 min more until the cheese melts, stirring constantly.
• Pour into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool, then chill for 4 hrs or overnight - the mixture needs to be very stiff to form the croquetas. Take heaped teaspoons of the mixture and, with wet hands, roll into 24 small oval shapes and put on a tray. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, put the flour on a plate and half of the breadcrumbs in a bowl.
• Roll each of the croquetas lightly in flour, then in egg before coating in breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Use the remaining breadcrumbs to top up the bowl halfway through the coating process. Chill for 30 mins (or to freeze, see tip, below left).
• Meanwhile, make the tomato chilli jam. Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover loosely with a lit and cook for 50 mins - 1 hr, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy. Leave to cool before serving.
• Fill a large saucepan one-third full with the sunflower oil and heat to 180C (or heat the oil in an electric deep-fat fryer). Do not overheat and do not leave hot oil unattended. Using a metal slotted spoon, lower 6 croquets into the oil and cook for 1.5 mins or until golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil, and continue cooking the rest. Serve with the chilli jam for dipping.