Spanish croquetas with ham — the classic crispy tapas appetiser

One of Spain’s most beloved appetisers: crispy balls with a creamy béchamel heart and pieces of ham, fried until golden.

Croquetas are one of Spain’s most famous tapas — small balls of thick béchamel dough, filled with ham, fish or vegetables, coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried until they turn golden. As documented in Wikipedia, they were born as a clever way to use up leftover roasted meat, but today they are one of the most sought-after dishes in tapas bars from Madrid to Barcelona. The secret of a good croqueta is a thick béchamel, well chilled before shaping, and frying in very hot oil so the crust becomes crispy without absorbing oil.

Ingredients (for about 25 croquetas):

• 100 g serrano ham (or dry-cured ham), cut into small pieces
• 60 g butter
• 60 g flour
• 500 ml whole milk, warm
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
• Salt, black pepper and nutmeg to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Breadcrumbs for coating
• Oil for frying

Preparation steps:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add the flour and stir for 2–3 minutes until it takes a little colour, without burning.
3. Pour in the warm milk little by little, stirring constantly with a whisk, until a thick béchamel forms that pulls away from the sides of the pan (about 10 minutes).
4. Add the chopped ham, salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg; mix well.
5. Tip the mixture into a flat tray, cover with cling film touching the surface (so no skin forms) and leave in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
6. With oiled hands, shape oval or cylindrical croquetas.
7. Pass each one first through flour, then through beaten egg and finally through breadcrumbs.
8. Heat the oil to 175–180°C and fry the croquetas in small batches for 2–3 minutes, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
9. Serve hot, as an appetiser or tapas.

Preparation time: 30 minutes (+ 4 hours chilling) | Cooking time: 15 minutes | Servings: about 25 croquetas

Tip: do not fry too many croquetas at once — the oil temperature drops and the crust softens. The béchamel must be really thick; if it is thin, the croquetas burst during frying.