CROQUETAS (Spanish for croquettes) are a must-have in my country and one of the best recipes to reuse leftovers in your kitchen at home.
A lot of people tend to ask me why our croquettes are so creamy in Spain. “Is there any cheese inside? Do you use potatoes or cream?”.
The answer is quite simple actually: Spanish croquetas are made with bechamel, the white sauce made with butter, flour and milk, as well as with any kind of protein or veggies.
Traditionally we use the leftovers of our one-pot winter meals. But as well we tend to use small pieces of Jamón ham after being sliced by hand, or with the bone of the Serrano leg in order to infuse the milk.
This is a perfect recipe to reuse any leftovers in a crunchy, creamy and delicious way! Serve it with a light salad for a great weekly homemade dinner.
Trust me, your family is going to love them!
Ingredients:
– Splash Olive oil
– 50 g unsalted butter
– 1 onion, diced finely
– 50 g plain flour
– 1L milk, warm
– 250g of a protein/ flavour leftovers of your choice
– salt
– breadcrumbs
– 5 eggs
– Oil to fry
Method:
Step 1: Start by heating the butter and oil in a pan. When fully melted and hot, add the chopped onion and sauté for about five to 10 minutes – until just starting getting a bit of colour and becomes soft and translucent.
Step 2: Add the diced protein or veggies and cook for a minute or so. Add the flour and sauté, mixing constantly to cook the flour as much as possible without burning it. It’s time now to add the warmed milk little by little.
Step 3: Begin to add the milk, remember to do it in batches little by little, over the next 15 to 20 minutes. Every time the mixture gets a bit dry, add some more milk. Stir constantly, and once the bechamel is creamy and thick it’s ready to cool. Taste now and remember it should not taste flour; adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Step 4: Pour the croqueta bechamel into a large bowl or glass tray and let it cool to room temperature. Cover it with plastic wrap on top (the plastic should be touching the bechamel) and store it in the fridge ideally overnight. When it’s completely cool, take it out of the fridge and make little croqueta logs using a metal spoon for help (this is the fun time with kids).
Step 5: To crumb them first prepare flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. This is a simple three-step breading process: cover first in flour, then egg, then the breadcrumbs. Place them on top of a baking paper if you wish so they don’t stick.
Step 6: It’s time to fry your croquetas! Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan and once hot (but not smoking) add the croquetas carefully. Turn them mid-way to ensure they brown evenly on all sides (you can use two forks to do this). They should take about five minutes to fry. Remove and resist the urge to bite in right away (you don’t want to burn yourself!). After about five minutes… give them a try! Enjoy