How to make good ham croquettes?

Who doesn't like croquettes? Grandma's, mother's or the neighbour's. But what should a good croquette be like? Crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside; there are many fillings but Serrano Ham croquettes are a classic. This is one of those foolproof recipes that will work wonders for you.

The base of good croquettes is a good bechamel sauce and a good batter , and with this recipe you will learn how to make them and you will learn the trick that I use if you want an extra crispy batter. I discovered it by chance one day when my croquettes were too runny and since then I have incorporated it into all my recipes.

Do you know where the term “croquette” comes from? It comes from the French verb croquer, which means to crunch, while croquette means “very crunchy.” We brought croquettes from our French neighbors, a country where they were originally made in the 17th century from a dough made from meat, egg, truffle and herbs, which was then formed into balls that were breaded and fried in plenty of oil. Later, during the 18th century, when béchamel was invented, French cooks used it as a base for croquettes.

There is evidence that croquettes had arrived in Spain at the beginning of the 19th century, as they were served during a dinner for English troops during the War of Independence. They arrived to stay, and since then they have been made with roast chicken, ham or cod, the most classic ones, and recently we find them with oxtail, squid in ink or sobrasada.

There are many proportions, versions and preparations of croquettes, although I will tell you my basic tricks :

• I make a sautéed onion
• You can add the ham at the end of cooking the onion or when you add the milk. If you choose the first option, let the ham fry for only 1 minute, otherwise it may take on an undesirable flavour.
• I form the croquettes with the croquette maker
• For an extra crispy coating, I first coat with breadcrumbs, then dip in egg, then dip in breadcrumbs again.

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Ingredients

• 1 liter of milk
• 110 g of flour
• 110 g butter
• 150 g of ham
• 1 egg
• Breadcrumbs
• Salt
• Nutmeg

Elaboration

1. Prepare the Bechame l. In a frying pan, fry the chopped onion together with the butter until it is transparent and has a little colour. Reduce the heat and add the ham, leaving it for 30 seconds to give it a little flavour. Next, add the flour and stir for 2 minutes with a wooden spatula over a low heat so that it browns.
2. Next, add the milk, salt and nutmeg and stir with a whisk until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan. This can take between 40 minutes and an hour.
3. Resting. Once cooked, pour the mixture onto a rectangular tray and cover with cling film to prevent the surface of the croquettes from drying out. Leave to rest overnight in the fridge.
4. Shape and coat. Remove the dough from the fridge. Prepare a bowl with beaten egg and a plate with breadcrumbs. Shape the croquettes using the croquette maker . Coat with breadcrumbs, egg and breadcrumbs again. You can fry immediately or freeze part of it.
5. Frying . Fry at 175ºC in plenty of oil in a deep cast iron frying pan or a De Buyer fryer . To check, use a kitchen thermometer or insert a wooden skewer and watch for bubbles. At 160ºC, bubbles begin to slowly appear and when they are larger and appear faster, the optimum temperature has been reached. Fry the croquettes at a temperature that is as constant as possible and once fried, drain the excess fat on absorbent paper.

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