Recipe For Pennsylvania Ham Croquettes

GOLDEN HAM CROQUETTES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt butter; stir in curry powder and flour. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in mustard and onion; add ham and mix well. Cover and chill thoroughly. , With wet hands, shape mixture into 10 balls. Roll balls in bread crumbs; shape each into a cone. Whisk together egg and water. Dip cones into egg mixture; roll again in crumbs. , Heat oil in an electric skillet or a deep-fat fryer to 375°. Fry croquettes, a few at a time, until golden brown, 2 to 2-1/2 minutes. Drain on paper towels; keep warm. , For the cheese sauce, melt butter in a saucepan; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 2 minutes. Reduce heat. Add cheeses; stir until melted. Spoon over croquettes.

HAM AND CHEESE CROQUETTES

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the potatoes, 1/4 cup flour, cheese, and ham with a large rubber spatula until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Rub your hands with a small amount of flour and form the portions into small flat disks about 1/2-inch thick. Use just enough flour to keep the potatoes from sticking to your hands, but do not coat them completely.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Shallow-fry the croquettes, turning once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Let the croquettes cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
• Cook's Note: This recipe doubles easily if you have enough leftover potatoes.

MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER'S HAM CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix ham, egg, mayonnaise, and half the breadcrumbs together in a bowl; shape into 6 meatballs. Spread the remaining breadcrumbs onto a plate; roll the balls in the breadcrumbs to coat. Arrange the balls in a baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

KROKETTEN (DUTCH CROQUETTES)

Steps:

• 1. Heat milk in the microwave.
• 2. In a small saucepan, melt butter.
• 3. Stir in flour to make a paste cook for 3 minutes while continually stirring.
• 4. Then gradually mix in hot milk.
• 5. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• 6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• 7. Then pour into a bowl to cool.
• 8. Place all remaining filling ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
• 9. Add to bowl with cool sauce. Stir well to make a thick paste. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• 10. Prepare coating stations - flour, egg beaten with the milk and bread crumbs into dipping plates.
• 11. Form paste into small logs (like large sausages).
• 12. Then coat with crumb topping. Roll your logs into flour.
• 13. Then dip in egg/milk mixture.
• 14. Then coat with bread crumbs (make sure to thoroughly cover with each of these three steps).
• 15. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and heat oil to about 350 degrees. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes turning halfway through frying.
• 16. Place fried croquettes on a baking sheet. Keep warm in the 200 degree oven until ready to serve.
• 17. You can eat these just as they are or if you want to try it in the Dutch style slice them lengthwise top with mustard (Dijon or brown) and place on a slice of white bread.
• 18. You know you've done well if the filling is separated from the coating after frying.

HAM AND RICE CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Stir together rice, ham, cheese, 1 egg, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Put remaining egg (lightly beaten) and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls.
• Heat 1 to 1 1/2 inches oil to 350°F in a 10-inch skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, dampen your hands and form 1/4-cup amounts of rice mixture into 2 1/2-inch cakes. Lightly coat with egg, then with bread crumbs. Fry croquettes in 2 batches, turning once or twice, until golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.

HAM CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Mince Ham in blender or food processor, put aside.
• Make cream sauce by Melting 4 T butter, slowly add while stirring 4T flour & 1/2t salt. When mixed well slowly add 1C skim milk and stir till it is thick.
• Mix Ham, minced onions, parsley and cream sauce.
• Press into an 8x8 pan and refridgerate at least 4 hours.
• Cut into 9 squares, flour squares, dip them in egg/water mixture and then in bread crumbs.
• Fry in canola oil.
• While frying make a second batch of cream sauce, by Melting 4 T butter, slowly add while stirring 4T flour & 1/2t salt. When mixed well slowly add 1C skim milk and stir till it is thick.
• Serve with cream sauce on the side for topping.

HAM AND CHEESE CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Once the butter melts, add the onion and season with salt and pepper.
• Once the onion is translucent, add the flour and stir, letting the flour cook for 1 minute.
• Next, whisk in the milk. Continue whisking until the flour is not longer clumpy. Continue to whisk, letting the mixture cook for 3 minutes, it will get very thick.
• Add 1/3 cup of cheese and the chopped ham, and stir to combine. Let this mixture cool in the fridge until it is cool enough to handle. To form the croquettes, scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture and then form into an oval. Continue using all of the dough and making about 16 croquettes.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Combine the panko, breadcrumbs, and remaining cheese in another bowl. One by one, roll the croquettes in the breadcrumbs, then the egg, and then back in the breadcrumbs. Place on a plate.
• Heat 2-3 inches of vegetables oil in a heavy saucepan, until it reaches 375 degrees. Once the oil is hot, carefully lower the croquettes into the oil, cooking 3-4 at a time. Let them cook for about 1-2 minutes, until golden brown, and then remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

CROQUETAS DE JAMóN (HAM CROQUETTES)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt butter at medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for 1 minute.
• Slowly whisk in milk, 1/3 cup of flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Continue to whisk until it becomes a very thick sauce (a roux).
• Add in the cooking wine and ground ham to the sauce. Mix together slowly until all is combined. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the filling to a bowl. Let it rest at room temperature then refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight (the longer the better). The mixture has to harden in order to form into logs and coat evenly. If this step is skipped, it will be very hard to form logs, coat with the breading, and fry. This is an important step. Don't skip it.
• Remove the filling from the refrigerator. Form logs from the mixture straight from the fridge. It's ok if they are cold, it will be easier to form the logs this way. You want the logs to be approximately 3" long and 1" wide. If the mixture is sticky as you're making the logs, add bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the mixture until it's no longer sticky.
• Continue forming the logs until you have all the croquette logs done then place them back in the fridge to firm up once again, about 30 minutes.**
• To bread the croquette logs, you want to set up a breading station. In one bowl, whisk eggs and set aside. In another bowl, mix the remaining flour and bread crumbs.
• Remove the logs from the fridge. Dip each croquette log in the egg wash and then coat in bread crumb/flour mixture. Repeat with each one until they are all breaded. Let the croquettes rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before frying.
• In a large pot or pan, heat enough vegetable oil to cover the croquettes completely. Fry each croquette until golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes. Don't crowd the pot too much as you are frying. This will help them all get evenly cooked.
• Remove the croquettes from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with saltines and lime wedges. Enjoy!

HAM CROQUETAS

Steps:

• To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a pan until it starts to shimmer. Add the leek and sauté until soft but not coloured. Stir in the ham with a wooden spoon, fry for 1 min, then stir in the flour and fry over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is golden but not burnt - this will take about 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, combine the stock and milk in a small pan and heat until steaming but not boiling. Season with a few scrapes of nutmeg. Gradually add the liquid, a few tbsp at a time, stirring constantly.
• Once you've incorporated all the milk stock, continue to cook the filling over a medium heat for about 10 mins or until it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan when you stir it.
• Season with black pepper, taste and adjust the salt if necessary - the ham can be very salty to start with. The filling is now done: it has to be really thick because you don't want the croquetas to turn into pancakes.
• Smooth the mixture onto a baking tray (30 x 20cm is fine). Once it has stopped steaming, cover with cling film to stop it drying out. Leave to cool before putting it in the fridge for 1 hr.
• When you're ready for the next stage, line up three bowls: the first filled with the flour, the second with beaten egg and the third with breadcrumbs. Take the ham mixture out of the fridge. Put a little bit of olive oil on your hands to make it easier to roll the croquetas.
• Roll a spoonful of the mixture between your palms. The size and shape of the croquetas is up to you, but the easiest is a walnut-sized ball. Then begin coating as follows.
• Dunk the croquetas into the flour - you want a dusting - followed by the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Put them on a tray and, when you've used up all the mixture, place in the fridge for 30 mins.
• If you have a deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 180C and fry for a couple of mins. If not, heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan until it starts to shimmer. Then add 5-6 croquetas at a time and fry until golden all over. Once cooked, drain on kitchen paper and eat straight away.

HAM CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Finely chop the cooked ham in a food processor or mince it using the coarse blade of a mincer, and put the onion through the food processor or mincer also. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the ham and onion. Soak the bread in the milk, then squeeze it out and stir this in, together with the garlic, parsley and mustard. Season with pepper, but be sparing with the salt, as the ham may be salty. Add the beaten egg and stir thoroughly. Now mould the mixture into 8 large - or 12 smallish - croquettes or rolls, pressing firmly to bind them together and chill them for 30 minutes. Then, sprinkle some flour on to a board and roll each croquette in it so that they're all lightly dusted with flour. Shallow-fry them in olive oil for 5-6 minutes, turning them halfway, to a light brown colour. Fried eggs would make a nice accompaniment.

HAM CROQUETTES

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.