Spanish Ham Croquettes - The FoodOlic recipes (2024)

One of the most appreciated Tapasin Spain is the famous cured ham croquette made with bechamel. Spanish Ham Croquettes have a crunchy exterior with an ultra-creamy interior, impossible not to fall for those little bites.

The Spanish Ham Croquettes or Croquetas, as they say in Spain, are simple to do. It’s basically a thick Béchamel sauce mixed up with cured ham, codfish, cuttlefish, mushrooms, or anything you want. In Spain, the most beloved gastronomic tapa would probably be Iberic ham croquetas. A pure delight! However most of the time, they are made out of serrano ham, the equivalent of prosciutto ham. But indeed it can be replaced by whatever cured ham you prefer or leftovers you have. Usually served as a tapas, it could also make a great light lunch served with a green or couscous salad.

History of Croquetas

Back in the day, they would use theleftovers of meat from the pig’s leg (ham) and then make those croquetas.Although they werecreated in France in 1898, under the name “croquette,” the Spanish one has no potatoes in theirs. The Italians, English, Polish, and French have their versions ofcroquettes, most of the time containingpotatoes, béchamel and meat. In Spain, croquetas are the first dish kids learn to do withtheir grandmother. Not to mention that every Spaniard’s mother does the best croqueta.

The Thickness of Bechamel

In Spain, they do it differently by simply using a thick béchamel, firm enough to form balls with your hands. There aremany levels of creaminess, the softer the béchamel, the harder it is to create a nice round-formed croqueta. Although the smootherit will be on the inside, the creamier your bite will be.

Serve with

This is a Tapa or Hors d’oeuvre, you can serve it with other lovely tapas. In the pictures, I served them with a simple lettuce and cherry tomato to prevent the greasy finger effect. But usually, they are served alone and eaten with the hands. Here are a few ideas of Tapas that would accompany these well:

• PAN CON TOMATE – PA AMB TOMAQUET
• FRIED EGGPLANT WITH HONEY
• CALAMARI IN ITS INK CROQUETAS
• CITRUS COUSCOUS SALAD

Storage

You can keep the croquettes for up to 3 days in the fridge after cooking them. Although, if you want to keep them for later use in the freezer, you’ll have to put them formed but uncooked. Lay them in a plastic bag on a cutting board in the freezer, with a little space in between. This way they won’t stick to each other. You can easily keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Also, you can fry them in oil directly but be careful not to add too many at a time.