Ham Croquettes

Croquetas de Jamon
Ham Croquettes

This recipe comes via Rachel McCormack – yes, a Scots writer who is a bit of an expert
on Spanish cuisine. It originates with Spanish TV chef Karlos Arguiñano. For well over
twenty years he has been cooking for Spanish television from his home town on the
Basque coast near Bilbao. Rachel says, ‘The most important thing with making the
béchamel for croquetas is time. It takes at LEAST 20 minutes of cooking time to make it.
You want a rich creamy texture, and not a hint of uncooked flour.’

Makes abot 20–24
100g (3½oz) butter
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g (7oz) Serrano ham, chopped
100g (3½oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 litre (1¾ pints) milk
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

To Coat:
flour
3 eggs, beaten
breadcrumbs

In a medium-sized pan, melt the butter and add the chopped
onion. Once the onion has softened slightly, add the crushed garlic
and, a couple of minutes later, the Serrano ham.

After about 5 minutes, add the flour and mix well, then add, little
by little, the milk, while continuously stirring.

Keep stirring for at least 20 minutes over a low heat, until the flour
has cooked out. Once the béchamel has cooked, pour it into
a fl at dish. Allow to cool, then cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and
put into the fridge for at least 3 hours, and preferably overnight.

Once the mix is completely cool, mould it into croqueta shapes,
cover in flour, dip in egg, then roll in breadcrumbs.

In a deep-fat fryer, heat the vegetable oil to 190°C (375°F). Fry
the croquetas, a few at a time, until they are a deep golden brown,
draining the cooked ones on kitchen paper as you go. When they
are all cooked, serve immediately.

Extracted from A Sherry & A Little Plate of Tapas by Kay Plunkett-Hogge.