Croquetas

One of my all time favorite tapitas! Croqueta’s are simply a friend mass of meat or vegetables. Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Great for kids and definitely a great substitute for store bought chicken nuggets. They can be made in numerous different ways, but I thought I would introduce the standard croqueta made with milk. For this recipe, my mother and I made them with shrimp,
however, for the kids, I love to make them filled with chicken or potatoes and cod, (bacalao)! Once you get the recipe down, feel free to experiment with different broths and meats or vegetables!

This recipe makes about 18 croquetas

Ingredients:

• 3 tbls butter
• 2 tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 tbls unbleached all purpose flour
• salt to taste
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 eggs
• breadcrumbs
• 2 cups shredded beef, chicken, or cod (or any other meat you’d like to add)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil to fry (about 1 inch to fill pan)

Method:

1. In a saucepan add the 2 tbls EVOO and 3 tbls butter until melted.
2. Once the butter is melted and the ingredients are hot, add 5 tbls flour and stir a few times.
3. At this point you want to start adding 2 cups milk a little at a time while constantly stirring.

The point is to create a thick batter so that it all sticks together in one mass. So you add milk and stir, add a bit more milk, and stir until it gets thicker and thicker. The bechamel will start to boil, keep stirring and adding more milk) It’s also at this time that you need to use your best judgment and add a little bit more milk if necessary or a tbl more flour if necessary.

 
4. Add the shrimp, or chicken, or vegetable of your choice and salt.

Stir into the sauce which should now be a thick paste.

 
5. Keep stirring until the paste is one thick mass and no longer sticks to the pan.

6. Put your mass into a mixing bowl, cover with a damp towel and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight.

7. Once the mass has been refrigerated, pinch off pieces of the mass and form them with your hands.

8. Once formed, roll them first in bread crumbs, then in egg, and then again in the breadcrumbs.
9. Fry them in Extra Virgin Olive Oil until deep brown.

Buen Provecho!