Croquetas de Jamón
Croquetas de Jamón arrived in Cuba with waves of Spanish immigrants, especially from Galicia and Asturias, who brought with them the technique of cooking with a thick béchamel from northern Spain. On the island, the dish became an essential home staple, served as a snack at any hour, at parties, or as an appetizer before the main meal, adapted with locally available ham instead of jamón serrano. What separates a good croquette from a mediocre one is discipline at two stages: the consistency of the béchamel, much thicker than a regular sauce, and chilling it long enough before shaping. Without at least 2 hours of chilling, the mixture is too soft to hold its shape while breading, and the croquettes would burst open in the oil. The double breading layer — flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs — creates a watertight barrier, letting the creamy interior stay intact while the outside fries quickly and turns crisp.
The base is a very thick béchamel, almost dough-like
Far more flour and less milk than a regular béchamel, so the mixture sets firm when chilled
The mixture chills in the fridge for at least 2 hours before shaping
Without this chilling, the croquettes would fall apart while breading or frying
Each croquette goes through three stages: flour, egg, breadcrumbs
The double breading seals the creamy center completely, which would otherwise burst in the oil
They fry briefly, in very hot oil
The inside is already cooked from the béchamel stage — frying only needs to brown the crust, not heat the center
Ingredients 4 servings
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 500ml warm milk
- 250g ham, very finely chopped
- 1 small onion, very finely chopped
- Salt, white pepper and nutmeg, to taste
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 150g fine breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
How to make it
- 1SAUTÉ THE ONION: melt the butter in a saucepan, sauté the onion until soft, about 3 minutes.
- 2ADD THE FLOUR: sprinkle the flour over the onion, stir constantly for 2 minutes, to cook off the raw taste.
- 3POUR IN THE MILK: pour in the warm milk gradually, stirring constantly so no lumps form, until you get a very thick sauce.
- 4ADD THE HAM: stir in the chopped ham, season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg, cook 2-3 more minutes.
- 5CHILL: transfer the mixture to a tray, spread it evenly, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- 6SHAPE AND BREAD: form small cylinders with damp hands, roll them through flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs.
- 7FRY: heat the oil to 180°C, fry the croquettes in small batches, 2-3 minutes, until golden.
- 8SERVE: drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
