Ham and cheese croquetas

A recipe from cooking-ez.com

For 25 pieces, you will need:

• 1 2 slices smoked ham
• 2 350 g bechamel sauce
• 3 80 g grated cheese
• 4 50 g flour
• 5 1 egg
• 6 100 g breadcrumbs
• 7 Fine (or table) salt
• Total weight: 690 grams

Times:

Preparation	Cooking	Start to finish
1 hour	35 min.	1 hour 35 min.

Step by step recipe

1	Grilled ham Grill 2 slices smoked ham (in this case, Spanish Serrano) to taste in a small frying pan over medium heat, without fat.
2	Once toasted, let cool, then chop. Reserve.
3	Béchamel with cheese and grilled ham Prepare 350 g bechamel sauce; it needs to be fairly thick, so not too much milk. Once finished and still hot, add 80 g grated cheese, mix well to melt it, then add the chopped ham, mix again, film and chill in the fridge.
4	Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking sheet. Line a piping bag with a 10 to 14 diameter tip, then fill it with the cold ham and cheese béchamel. Poke out puffs, the width of the baking sheet, onto the baking paper, then place in the fridge to set aside.
5	Cut the cold puddings into 3 to 5 cm pieces and return to the fridge.
6	Breadcrumbs Prepare a small plate or bowl with 50 g flour, another with 1 egg fork-beaten and salted, and a 3rd with 100 g breadcrumbs.
7	1) Roll a cylinder of béchamel in flour, coat well and tap to remove excess flour.
8	2) Dip the cylinder into the beaten egg and coat well.
9	3) Then roll it in the breadcrumbs, which, thanks to the egg, adhere well.
10	Place the croqueta on a plate or board. Do this for all your croquetas.
11	Frying Heat frying oil in a pan or deep fryer to 180°C (360°F). Fry the croquetas, in packs of 5 or 6, in the hot oil.
12	Once nicely colored, place them as you go on a sheet of paper towel on a warm plate and sprinkle with salt. Do this for all the croquetas.
13	Serve immediately as an aperitif or starter.

Remarks

Croquetas can be made with all kinds of flavors: chicken, fish, vegetables, shrimp, etc.
For extra-crisp croquetas, repeat the breading steps: once in flour, but a 2nd time in egg AND breadcrumbs (step 8 and step 9).

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