Chorizo and manchego croquetas
You can judge a great tapas restaurant by its croquetas – this recipe will make yours equally good. Make the base mix a day or so ahead then you can just cook the croquetas to order. Serve with a glass of sherry or an ice-cold beer.
- 75g butter
- 75g plain flour
- 500ml whole milk
- 75g manchegofinely grated
- in one piece 150g chorizochopped into small dice
- 3 eggsbeaten
- 200g dried breadcrumbs
- for deep frying groundnut oil
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal94
- fat6g
- saturates2.9g
- carbs6.6g
- sugars0g
- fibre0.1g
- protein3.2g
- salt0.2g
Method
step 1
Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour to make a thick paste.
step 2
Gradually stir in the milk until you have a smooth sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted, then stir in the chorizo and season really well. Scoop into a tray or dish, cool, then chill completely in the fridge. (This can take 2-3 hours, or you could do it the day before.)
step 3
Put the egg on one plate and breadcrumbs on another. Scoop out large teaspoonfuls of the mix and roll each into a ball about 3cm across. Roll the balls in the egg then the crumbs. Repeat so you have a double layer of egg and breadcrumbs.
step 4
Fill a pan 1/3 full with oil and heat to 180C (or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds), then deep fry the balls in batches for 2-3 minutes until golden. Scoop out and drain on kitchen paper.