The croquetas are delicious Spanish croquettes, perfect as an appetizer, made with a base of béchamel and cured ham, then breaded and fried. Typical of Andalusian cuisine, croquettes are a beloved street food found throughout Spain and are usually served as tapas, the famous Spanish snacks. Unlike our potato croquettes, croquetas are made with béchamel and jamón ibérico, which can be replaced with cured ham. Easy to prepare, these croquettes are perfect to serve both hot and cold, ideal for a savory buffet with friends.
I decided to try this recipe to make use of the leftover béchamel from making lasagna. Therefore, I will not follow the original recipe step by step, but I will keep the same ingredients, thus offering an excellent solution for recycling leftovers in the kitchen. All with a touch of flavor, always with the aim of making cooking varied and fun, involving the whole family. The béchamel to be used must be thick and well chilled, directly from the refrigerator.
Before moving on to the recipe, let me remind you of other delicious ideas to enrich your aperitifs or buffets
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 12 croquetas
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 257.22 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 7.58 (g) of which sugars 1.50 (g)
- Proteins 5.18 (g)
- Fat 23.19 (g) of which saturated 6.09 (g)of which unsaturated 16.52 (g)
- Fibers 0.54 (g)
- Sodium 354.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 61 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 17.64 oz béchamel
- 2.82 oz cured ham
- 0.35 oz butter
- 2 eggs
- salt
- breadcrumbs (for breading)
- all-purpose flour (for breading)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Small Pot
Preparation
Cut the cured ham into strips and place it in a non-stick pan with the butter. Sauté until crispy, being careful not to burn it.
Add the sautéed ham to the béchamel, mix well and let it rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a deep plate, break the whole eggs, add a pinch of salt, and beat with a fork. In other deep plates, or on two sheets of parchment paper, arrange the flour and breadcrumbs. Personally, for breading, I prefer to wrap the mixture in a sheet of parchment paper, which helps the flour and breadcrumbs adhere well without damaging the mixture to be fried. Use two spoons to form the croquettes and pass them first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Use your hands to shape them, but be careful not to press them too much, as they are soft.
While preparing the croquettes, pour the oil into a high-sided pot and heat it. This way, you can start frying them as they are ready. As they are soft, it is better to fry them immediately after preparing them. Let them cook until they are completely golden. Then, remove them from the oil and let them drain on a rack, ready to be enjoyed.
NOTES
Croquetas are delicious when consumed hot, but they can also be enjoyed at room temperature. Therefore, it is possible to prepare them in advance and serve them during a savory buffet.
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