We have reached a point in gastronomic history where it can be stated that Croquettes are the Holy Grail in Spain. There are all typesso there is no possible discussion, and as it resonates on social networks, “if you don’t like croquettes, you can’t be trusted.”
However, despite being one of the most consumed dishes, Making them at home is a headache for anyone because the dough is very liquid; because it is very thick and the croquettes remain dry; because lumps appear in the bechamelbecause the quantities don’t add up… There are many things that can go wrong and make a gastronomic mess of this delicacy.
But you can rest assured because we bring you Martín Berasategui’s trick to make the best ham croquettes that you have tried. So there is no excuse, let’s get to work, as the saying goes, “in April, a thousand croquettes.”
Patience and exact quantities
There’s no more; to get the Berasategui ham croquettes so you just have to have time and a scale precision. Without leaving aside the use of a good Iberian ham that brings all its flavor to the recipe.
Many times, you cook by eye and the game turns out well, but not with some croquettes, If the quantities are not followed, it will be a churro inedible béchamel, which is the most important thing in this recipe.
The same thing happens with time. The chef makes this dish with great care and does not look at the clock: he lets the béchamel roux (the mixture of flour and melted butter) cool before pouring in the milk that he has previously reduced, and he also waits about three hours. until coat them to fry them.
Ingredients
- 75g of chopped onion
- 75g butter
- 75ml olive oil
- 225g flour
- 3.12 liters of milk
- 2 eggs
- 300g of cut Iberian ham
- Bread crumbs
- Salt
How to make Martín Berasategui croquettes
- The first thing to do is cook an egg for 10 minutes. When it cools, we peel it and cut into very small pieces.
- Next, we pour the whole milk into a saucepan, but first we add a tablespoon of water so that when we reduce the milk it does not stick to the bottom. We let it decrease until there are 2 liters left to make the bechamel.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter together with the olive oil and add the onion that we have chopped until poached.
- When the onion is very soft, we add the flour and mix it well, cooking it for 5 minutes so that it is not raw. Then we let our roux cool.
- Once the roux has rested, at room temperature, we can make the bechamel pouring the hot milk little by little and mixing constantly with a whisk.
- Optionally, but recommended by the chef, we grind everything to unify the flavors and make the dough very fine. We let it cook little by little for 12 minutes.
- After the time has passed, remove from the heat and add the chopped egg along with the ham. We stir very well and add salt to taste.
- Now, on a tray greased with a little olive oil, we pour the croquette doughwe cover it with plastic wrap and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next day, we take out the dough and, with hands greased with oil to help us, we give them the shape we want. Afterwards, it is very important to leave them in the refrigerator for another 3 hours before coating them.
- To bread them we will have to first coat them in flour, removing the excess; then, with the beaten egg; and, finally, we coat them in the breadcrumbs until they are coated everywhere.
- To fry them, we will have to do it in a saucepan or deep frying pan with plenty of olive oil at about 190 °C. When they are golden brown, drain them well, plate them, and enjoy the best ham croquettes you have ever tasted!
