Croquetas de Jamón
Directions
- 1Dice the jamón into small cubes.
- 2Heat the milk and cream until just about to boil.
- 3Remove from heat, add the jamón, and cover the pot to infuse the liquid with flavor.
- 4Crack eggs and set the yolks aside. Fry the egg whites until golden and crispy.
- 5Finely dice the onion.
- 6Melt butter with olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion with a pinch of salt and pepper over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until all moisture is gone.
- 7Add flour and stir to combine with the fat, forming a roux. Cook the roux for another 10 minutes over medium heat.
- 8Gradually add the warm milk mixture in three or four additions, stirring continuously with a spatula to avoid lumps.
- 9Once all the milk is incorporated, add the chopped fried egg whites and the reserved egg yolks.
- 10Chill the mixture in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
- 11Shape the croquetas with two spoons.
- 12Freeze the shaped croquetas for 4-6 hours.
- 13Coat the frozen croquetas in beaten egg and breadcrumbs (panko).
- 14Fry the croquetas at 180°C (356°F) for about 2-3 minutes in small batches.
Ingredients
- 800 g whole milk
- 200 g heavy cream
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g butter
- 25 g extra virgin olive oil
- 100 g jamón ibérico
- 1 large onion
- 2 eggs for topping
- 2 eggs for coating
- breadcrumbs (panko)
- salt
- pepper
Equipment
potknifecutting boardstovepanspatulawhiskfridgefreezerdeep fryerplatebowl
Tips
- To infuse the liquid with jamón flavor, heat milk and cream until just about to boil, remove from heat, add jamón, and cover the pot.
- For the béchamel, properly poach the onion before adding the flour to remove all humidity.
- Use a spatula instead of a whisk when adding milk to the roux to avoid developing too much gluten, which makes the mixture too dense.
- If the milk is warm and added little by little, you won't have problems with lumps.
- To make coating easier and reduce falling soldiers during frying, shape the croquetas and then freeze them for 4-6 hours before coating.