2021 Vuelta - Stage 10: Roquetas de Mar to Rincón de la Victoria
The riders are back from a needed rest day. Today is a hilly ride with some nice flats thrown in between, all within the borders of Andalusia. Andalusia is a large region covering the entire southern territory of Spain. In fact, today’s ride is all along the southern coastline with the Alboran Sea. While I could’ve selected a myriad of fish dishes to make, the start town is named Roquetas and I couldn’t escape the lure of Croquetas: lovely little dumplings of chicken and ham, dipped in breading, and fried until golden and crispy on the outside, with a warm, savory, soft interior. The best is, these need no dipping sauce as the interior also consists of a luscious béchamel. These are a staple of any tapas bar/restaurant, and indeed, I am providing you the recipe from none other than the tapas king himself, José Andrés.
Ham and Chicken Croquettes Croquetas de jamón serrano y pollo, from Tapas, José Andrés
You will need some pre-cooked chicken for this recipe. I suggest making your own chicken stock so you have a flavorful chicken for the filling. Stumped with what to do with the stock? Check out this amazing paella recipe!
1 stick of butter
Spanish onion, minced
2.5 cups AP flour
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup finely chopped Serrano ham
1/3 lb cooked chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces
Nutmeg
Eggs
1.5 cups breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot, over medium heat, and sauté the onion with a pinch of salt, until translucent, about 6 minutes.
Stir in 1.5 cups of flour, continuously, so the flour absorbs all of the juices in the pan and begins to lightly toast, about 5 minutes. Pour in the milk and whisk for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the ham and chicken, ½ tsp of salt and a pinch of ground nutmeg, until nice and thick. Pour the mixture out onto a baking sheet and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the breading station while you heat the frying oil to 375 degrees. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Beat 2-3 eggs lightly and place in another shallow dish or bowl and finally, place breadcrumbs in another shallow dish.
When the croqueta mix has cooled, pick up a small portion and form into small balls or little cylinders, about the size of corks. You don’t want to make these too big, as to ensure the interior fully cooks and is not gummy.
Once you have all of the croqueta balls, dredge them in flour (shaking off any excess), dip them into the egg (allowing excess to drip off) and finally cover in the breadcrumbs. Complete with all of the croquetas and set back onto the baking sheet.
Once all of the croquettes have been formed and breaded, and your oil has reached 375 degrees, drop the croquetas into the oil and fry away for about a minute or so, until they are nicely golden brown.
Transfer the fried croquetas either to a paper towel or another tray lined with a cooling rack to allow the excess oil to fall away. Serve warm. ______________________________ Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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