Recipe: Appetizing Croquetas

Croquetas. These small, lightly breaded and fried béchamel fritters include delicious Spanish cured ham , and they aren't hard to re-create at home. Any visitor to Spain will have seen croquetas in Spanish restaurants served as a tapas. You can make croquetas with ham, fish, chicken, spinach.

Origin: Spain and other origins Croquetas are served in most bars and restaurants of Spain, mainly as a tapa, and most Spanish mothers have their own recipe to make them. They can be filled with anything, however the most popular ones are "croqueta de bacalao" (cod), "croqueta de jamón" (ham), "croquetas" de espinaca (spinach) and "croquetas de pollo" (chicken)". Croquetas de Jamon: Spanish Ham Croquettes. You can have Croquetas using 12 ingredients and 6 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Croquetas

1. It's 200 grams of chicken leftovers.
2. Prepare 150 grams of jamón serrano.
3. It's 1 of boiled egg (optional).
4. You need 1 tbsp of butter.
5. Prepare 1 pinch of salt.
6. It's 1 pinch of pepper.
7. You need 1 pinch of numteg.
8. Prepare 1 of egg (beated).
9. It's 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs.
10. Prepare 2 cup of milk ( you may need more depending on how thick you like the bechamel).
11. Prepare 3 tbsp of all purpose flour.
12. Prepare 1 of olive oil.

You've probably herd of croquettes: tasty, fried little bites that are often served as appetizers. Croquettes originated in France, where they feature a mashed potato center, but when croquettes traveled down to Spain, they became croquetas, and took on something a bit different. Croquetas de Jamón are a common sight on bar counters and in homes across Spain, served as a tapa, light lunch, or a dinner along with a salad. The jamon serrano in this recipe could be replaced with chopped hard-boiled eggs, shredded salt cod, minced shrimp, chopped chorizo, cheese, or just about any vegetable.

Croquetas instructions

1. chop the chicken, jamón and the boiled egg if used and mix them all.
2. in a sauce pan, melt the butter add half of the flour and some warm milk. Stirr constantly while adding the rest of the flour and milk until it thikens..
3. Mix the bechamel you just made with the chicken-jamón mixture. Let it cool at least for 2h.
4. Using two spoons, make croquetas with the mixture..
5. Deep them into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs..
6. Fry them in olive oil. Once they are golden, let them cool in absorvent paper and serve..

Photo by Javier Lastras on Flickr CC. But true to every Spaniard's heart is the classic croquetas de jamón Serrano recipe (Serrano ham croquettes). Their creamy filling is bursting with flavor and leaves many wondering whether they're eating ham flavored mashed potatoes or some delicious melted cheese and ham concoction. These croquetas remind me of home. They remind me of my childhood.