Spanish Croquetas De Jamon Serrano Recipes

CROQUETAS DE JAMON RECIPE - SPANISH HAM CROQUETTES

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.

SPANISH CROQUETTES WITH JAMON SERRANO

Steps:

• Preheat a small saucepan. Heat the olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir through butter until the flour and butter is combined and blended
• Add the milk in one go and stir with a whisk constantly to whisk away any lumps. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thick
• Take off the heat. Finely chop the parsley and stir through the sauce. Finely chop the serrano ham and add to the sauce.
• Put it on a tray and spread it out. Let the mixture cool for at least 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator
• When the mixture is cooled shape your croquettes with a big spoon
• Take the egg and whisk. Put the bread crumbs on a plate
• Roll the croquette in the egg then cover with bread crumbs
• Put in the fridge while you preheat your oil in a pan until approximately 375℉/180℃.
• Put 2 to 3 croquettes in the pan
• Do not crowd the pan and bake until golden brown. Take them out of the pan with a slotted spoon
• Let the croquettes drain on a paper towel. Repeat for the next batch of croquettes
• Ready to serve

CROQUETAS DE JAMON (SPANISH HAM CROQUETTES)

Steps:

• Melt butter and oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add the flour and stir to moisten it completely. Sauté the flour until it begins to turn a light brown color 2-3 min.
• Add the milk a little by a little, stirring constantly to incorporate each addition, until you have added it all. (At first, it will look like you won't be able to get a smooth sauce, but continue working your sauce with a rubber spatula as you add a little milk at a time and it will smooth out.) Reduce the heat to medium low as needed, if your milk seems to scald before you can mix it into the roux. Continue heating the mixture as needed until it is creamy, thick, and smooth.
• Add the diced ham and nutmeg. Mix well.
• Taste your mixture and add salt as necessary.
• Remove your mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly
• Transfer the croqueta dough into a casserole dish and cover it with plastic wrap (or a lid). Refrigerate the dough overnight.
• Place the beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in a second, wide bowl.
• (We found it easiest to shape all the croquettas first and then bread them. But, if you have extra hands in the kitchen, now is a good time to employ their help, assembly-line-style.)
• Working with roughly 2 Tbsp of dough at a time, shape the chilled dough into little, fat thumbs. (Your hands will get sticky while shaping the dough. Keeping them lightly floured helps to cut down on the stickiness.)
• Dip each croqueta, one at a time, in the beaten egg, turning to coat.
• Then, roll it in the breadcrumbs, pressing to coat.
• Place the breaded croquetas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all the croquetas are breaded, place your baking sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, to firm them up slightly.
• At this point you can heat ½ inch of vegetable oil over med high heat in a shallow skillet. (When you drop a little flour or bread crumbs into the oil and they sizzle, the oil is ready.)
• Fry your chilled croquetas in batches, making sure not to crowd the oil, 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
• Remove the croquetas from the frying pan and place them on a paper towel lined platter to cool slightly.
• Serve warm!
• Once the croquetas are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container until you are ready to fry them up.
• To fry your croquetas from well-frozen, let them thaw on the counter for 10-15 minutes before frying.

CROQUETAS DE JAMON RECIPE

Steps:

• Using a food processor, chop the ham into very tiny pieces.
• Heat a large pan over medium heat and put in the butter and olive oil.
• Heat until the butter is melted, then add the chopped onion. Turn down the heat to the minimum and sautée the onion at low heat for 8-10 minutes, until tender and golden-colored.
• Mix in the chopped ham and cook for a few more seconds.
• Sautée with salt, nutmeg, and ground black pepper.
• To create the bechamel, slowly mix flour with the onion and ham. Stir until it starts to darken a bit.
• Then slowly add in the milk in small dashes, being sure that it evaporates and thickens before adding the next pour.
• Once all the milk is integrated and the batter separates from the pan, turn off the heat and let it cool down for 20 minutes at room temperature.
• Let the batter rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably overnight, so it can fully develop its flavors.
• Once the batter has rested, beat the eggs and put them on a large plate. On another plate, prepare a bed of breadcrumbs.
• Slightly wet your hands with water or oil and shape little cylinders. You can also use two spoons if you do not wish to use your hands. Keep wetting your hands once the batter starts to stick.
• Gently place the croquetas on the egg plate, being careful that they do not lose their shape. Repeat until all the croquetas are shaped.
• Turn each of them around to cover with the beaten eggs.
• Then transfer them into the breadcrumbs plate and completely coat them.
• Pour the vegetable frying oil into a large pan and heat at medium heat.
• Fry the ham croquetas for about 3-4 minutes on each side until browned.

SPANISH CROQUETAS DE JAMON SERRANO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan and saute minced onions until transparent. Stir in the flour and cook it briefly, then whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Stir in the jamon and spread the mixture into a dish. Refrigerate until solid.
• Place the beaten eggs in one dish, the bread crumbs in another. With moistened hands, form the chilled mixture into balls or cylinders. Dip each croqueta first in bread crumbs, then in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs again, taking care that they are well covered. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in deep fryer and fry the coquetas a few at a time, until golden, about 3 minutes.