Ingredients
- serrano ham 150g, chopped into small pieces
- bay leaf 1
- butter 75g
- plain flour 75g
- whole milk 500ml
- manchego 50g, grated
- nutmeg a grating
- eggs 2, beaten
- dried breadcrumbs 100g
- groundnut oil for deep frying
Method
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Step 1
Heat a non-stick pan and fry the ham and bay leaf gently until any fat has melted off the ham, then scoop it out leaving the fat behind.
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Step 2
Add the butter to the pan and, when it has melted, stir in the flour to make a thick paste.
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Step 3
Gradually stir in the milk until you have a smooth sauce.
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Step 4
Add back the bay leaf and ham and simmer over a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted, then add a good grating of nutmeg and season really well.
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Step 5
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.)
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Step 6
Scoop out large teaspoonfuls of the mix and roll each into balls about 3cm across.
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Step 7
Put the beaten egg on one plate and breadcrumbs on another. Roll the balls in the egg then the crumbs. Repeat so you have a double layer of egg and breadcrumbs.
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Step 8
Fill a pan no more than ⅓ full with oil and heat to 180C (or until a cube of bread browns in around 30 seconds), then deep fry the balls in batches for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden. Scoop out and drain on kitchen paper (you can keep cooked croquetas warm in a very low oven).
Nutritional Information
- Kcals 107
- Carbs 5.1g
- Protein 3.5g
- Fat 8g
- Salt 0.3g
- Fibre 0.1g