Croquetas de Jamón, a Spanish culinary delight, are crispy, golden-brown balls of béchamel sauce filled with the savory flavors of ham. This traditional dish is a testament to the transformative power of simple ingredients, elevated by careful preparation and a hint of culinary magic. Whether served as a tapa, an appetizer, or a main course, croquetas de jamón are sure to tantalize taste buds and leave you craving more. Discover the art of crafting these delectable morsels, and embark on a culinary journey that will transport you to the heart of Spanish cuisine.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CROQUETAS DE JAMON RECIPE - SPANISH HAM CROQUETTES
Croquetas de Jamón, also known as Spanish ham croquettes, are a staple on every Spanish tapas menu, and you can find these creamy-crunchy bites all over the country. Check out our Croquetas de Jamón Recipe.
Provided by Tim Kroeger
Categories Spanish Tapas
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat up four tablespoons (around 60 grams) of unsalted butter and 1/4 cup (about 60 milliliters) of extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Keep the flame low and let the butter meltdown before adding anything else.
- Once the butter is completely melted and hot, add one medium-sized onion (very finely diced) to the pan. Sauté for about five to six minutes and move on to the next step as soon as the onion slices start to gain some color.
- Once the onion shows some color, add a pinch of salt and nutmeg to the pan and mix everything thoroughly.
- Add the finely diced Serrano ham to the pan. Mix everything again and cook the ham for a maximum of one minute. Keep stirring the pan to ensure nothing gets burnt.
- Add one cup of flour (approximately 120 grams) to the mixture and sauté everything constantly to avoid any unnecessary burns.
- Keep stirring the mixture repeatedly to cook the flour as much as possible, while also not burning it. Once the paste starts showing a creamy brown color, it is time to add milk to the paste.
- Add a bit of milk to the brownish paste and mix everything again.
- Continue adding milk to the paste little by little every time for the next 15-20 minutes to thicken the paste. Each time the mixture in your pan dries up, add more milk to it. Stir constantly all the time you're adding more and more milk until the dough is creamy and thick enough.
- Pour the dough into a large bowl and let it cool down to room temperature. Afterwards, cover the bowl with plastic wrap (directly over the dough) and store it in the fridge for at least four hours. For better results and taste, leave the paste covered with plastic wrap in the fridge overnight.
- When the croquette dough is thick and cold, begin forming small croquette logs and place them on a plate.
- Prepare three separate bowls with flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs respectively. Start by cover the croquettes one by one in flour, then eggs, and then bread crumbs.
- Heat up extra virgin olive oil and ensure it gets hot, but not too hot or the croquettes will burn. Start heavy frying the croquettes and do NOT forget to turn them around so that they get evenly brown on all sides.
- Once they are nicely fried, remove the croquettes from the pan and drain on paper towels to let them soak up all the extra oil and cool down. Once cool enough, you can begin enjoying these delicious bites with your friends and family.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 700 calories, Carbohydrate 36 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 302 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 28 grams fat, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 75 grams protein, SaturatedFat 8 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 3088 grams sodium, Sugar 5 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 14 grams unsaturated fat
CROQUETAS DE JAMON: HAM CROQUETTES
Provided by Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 1h10m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In large saute pan, saute ham, onions, peppers, and garlic. Add tomato paste and caramelize. Add parsley, nutmeg, and heavy cream. Sprinkle with 1/2 the flour.
- Season, cool, and grind in meat grinder. Shape into finger sized sticks or patties. Bread using remaining flour, egg, and cracker meal.
- Heat a saute pan filled 1-inch with canola oil to 375 degrees F. Fry the croquettes until golden brown.
CROQUETAS DE JAMON (HAM CROQUETTES)
This is the way my aunt used to make croquetas, with bechamel - an old family and personal favorite. If you don't know what croquetas are, they are deep-fried treats about the length of your thumb and twice as wide. Variations of croquetas are famous around the world, but this recipe is Spanish (although it would truly be Spanish made with Serrano ham, but that's not the way my aunt made it). I used to eat several as a meal but generally these are served as tapas (appetizers/light lunch). These are perfect to throw in the lunch box too! Also, please don't be intimidated by the long list of directions, because in the end this is pretty simple to make. This is a great make-ahead dish too.
Provided by DisasterInTheKitchen
Categories Ham
Time 3h10m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Make your bechamel sauce by first melting olive oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add flour to melted butter and mix well with whisk.
- Add 1/2 cup milk to saucepan and increase heat to medium-high.
- Stir constantly to avoid burning, and cook for about 5 minutes or until bechamel has thickened.
- Reduce head to medium and cook for another 10 minutes to allow bechamel to thicken fully.
- Add minced ham and season lightly with salt (as ham is already salty).
- Blend evenly and transfer mixture to a lightly oiled 8 inch shallow dish. Ensure the mixture is even all across.
- Refrigerate mixture at least 2 hours, but overnight is best.
- To make croquetas, shape the chilled ham mixture either with two tablespoons or your hands into a cylindrical shape about the length of your thumb or forefinger.
- Break eggs into a bowl and whisk. Put breadcrumbs seasoned with salt only, if you really want to season breadcrumbs, on a plate.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium to medium-high heat.
- Dip croquetas into egg and roll in breadcrumbs; do this twice to double-coat them.
- After all croquetas have been assembled, refrigerate them for 30 minutes before frying.
- Fry each croqueta until golden brown and put on paper towel-lined plate. As you cook, you can keep them warm in a low oven.
- I like to eat these alone, or maybe with some steamed white rice and black beans. I hope you enjoy!
HAM CROQUETTES
A delicious croquette recipe, made with ham, onions, & cheese. It is so good & tastes just like I remember my mom's!
Provided by BARNETTBUNCH
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Meat and Poultry Pork
Time 45m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, green onions, and garlic; cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer contents of skillet to a large bowl. Stir in ham, Cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs. Beat 3 eggs; stir into ham mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using your hands, make golf ball-size balls out of the ham mixture.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Spread remaining bread crumbs onto a plate. In a large bowl, beat 1 egg; stir in water. Dip balls into egg mixture, and roll in bread crumbs. Place balls in hot oil being careful not to crowd. Fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to soak up grease.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 347.3 calories, Carbohydrate 26.5 g, Cholesterol 125.7 mg, Fat 17.6 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 20.5 g, SaturatedFat 7.5 g, Sodium 978 mg, Sugar 4.3 g
HAM & CHEESE CROQUETAS
These tasty, deep-fried bites can be made ahead and frozen, perfect for no-fuss entertaining as part of a party buffet spread
Provided by Justine Pattison
Categories Buffet, Canapes, Snack, Starter
Time 1h45m
Yield Makes 24
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- To make the croquetas, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and gently fry the onion for 3 mins or until lightly coloured. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 secs. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, and cook over a low heat for 5 mins until thick and glossy. Stir in the ham, cheese, mustard and cream, and season to taste. Cook for 1 min more until the cheese melts, stirring constantly.
- Pour into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool, then chill for 4 hrs or overnight - the mixture needs to be very stiff to form the croquetas. Take heaped teaspoons of the mixture and, with wet hands, roll into 24 small oval shapes and put on a tray. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, put the flour on a plate and half of the breadcrumbs in a bowl.
- Roll each of the croquetas lightly in flour, then in egg before coating in breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Use the remaining breadcrumbs to top up the bowl halfway through the coating process. Chill for 30 mins (or to freeze, see tip, below left).
- Meanwhile, make the tomato chilli jam. Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover loosely with a lit and cook for 50 mins - 1 hr, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy. Leave to cool before serving.
- Fill a large saucepan one-third full with the sunflower oil and heat to 180C (or heat the oil in an electric deep-fat fryer). Do not overheat and do not leave hot oil unattended. Using a metal slotted spoon, lower 6 croquets into the oil and cook for 1.5 mins or until golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil, and continue cooking the rest. Serve with the chilli jam for dipping.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 141 calories, Fat 8 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 13 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 6 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 4 grams protein, Sodium 0.3 milligram of sodium
CROQUETAS DE JAMON
Squeeze a little lime over these deep-fried Cuban hors d'oeuvres.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers Finger Food Recipes
Yield Makes 40
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the onion, and cook until translucent and tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the flour until combined; cook without browning, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes very thick, about 6 minutes.
- Stir in the ham, parsley, lime juice, and nutmeg until well combined; season with salt and pepper. Cook 4 minutes. Remove from heat; spread mixture over a baking pan. Chill, uncovered, about 2 hours.
- Remove the baking pan from the refrigerator. Using your hands, form the ham mixture into 2-inch-long croquettes.
- Pour the eggs and the bread crumbs into 2 separate medium bowls. Dip a croquette into the eggs, then roll in the bread crumbs, coating completely. Transfer the breaded croquette to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining croquettes. Let the croquettes stand, uncovered, 30 minutes
- Pour 4 to 5 inches peanut oil into a medium saucepan, and heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 375 degrees. Working in batches, slip croquettes into the hot oil, without crowding, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes; adjust heat as necessary to maintain oil at 375 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, remove croquettes from oil, and drain on paper towels. Serve with the lime wedges.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients, especially the ham. This will make a big difference in the final flavor of the croquetas.
- Make sure the béchamel sauce is thick and creamy. This will help the croquetas hold their shape when they are fried.
- Chill the croqueta mixture for at least 30 minutes before frying. This will help them set and make them easier to handle.
- Use a deep fryer or a large saucepan filled with oil to fry the croquetas. The oil should be at a temperature of 350°F (175°C).
- Fry the croquetas in batches until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain them on paper towels before serving.
Conclusion:
Croquetas de jamón are a delicious and versatile Spanish appetizer or snack. They are easy to make and can be customized to your liking. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
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