CROQUETAS

Whether oval or round, made with meat or cheese, this Spanish snack should be both crisp and gooey. Words: Owen Morgan

BASE

Most croquetas are made with bechamel sauce, which ensures a molten interior. To get it perfectly silky, whisk as you gradually add stock or milk to a roux, ensuring zero lumps. Before chilling, the mixture should coat the back of the spoon; it’ll thicken up in the fridge.

FLAVOURINGS

You’ll find hundreds of flavours of croquetas, including red prawn, chorizo and manchego. One of the most popular is ibérico ham, which is fried with the butter that goes into the bechamel. No ibérico? Serrano or parma ham are good alternatives.

SHAPING

The classic shape is oval, but if you’re making a large batch, round balls will be quicker to mass-produce. Whichever you go for, each one should contain around 30g of mixture (roughly one tablespoon). If you don’t use all of your mixture, it can be frozen.

COATING

Croquetas should be crisp on the outside, but gooey and only just holding together inside. Dip your bechamel ball in flour first, so the rest of the coatings stick. Next, dip in beaten egg and, finally, roll in breadcrumbs (panko create a wonderfully dry crunch).

FRYING

In a deep-fat fryer or saucepan (one-third full), heat light olive oil or rapeseed oil to 180C. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small piece of bread in — if it goes golden-brown in 30 seconds, all’s well.

Fry for two minutes until golden-brown and crisp.