Croquetas de jamón

Ingredients

Tap an ingredient to tick it off.

For the béchamel

• 80 g butter
• 80 g plain flour
• 800 ml whole milk
• 120 g finely chopped ham (serrano or Iberian)
• Nutmeg, salt and pepper

For coating and frying

• 2 eggs
• 150 g breadcrumbs
• Olive or sunflower oil for frying

Preparation

1. 01Make the rouxMelt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the flour and cook it for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it loses its raw taste without taking colour.
2. 02Add the milkAdd the milk little by little, warm or cold, whisking to avoid lumps. Wait for the mixture to absorb each addition before adding more.
3. 03Cook the béchamelAdd the chopped ham, a pinch of nutmeg and pepper, and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides. Taste before salting: the ham already adds salt.
4. 04Chill the doughSpread the mixture on a dish, cover with cling film touching the surface and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
5. 05Shape and coatWith two spoons or lightly floured hands, shape balls or cylinders. Dip them in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs, pressing so they stick well.
6. 06FryFry the croquettes in batches in plenty of oil at 170-180 °C until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.

Variations

• Croquettes of roast chicken, salt cod or cocido, which make use of leftover meat or fish.
• Some recipes add chopped hard-boiled egg to the dough or replace part of the butter with olive oil.