Cream Croquettes (Spanish-Style Croquetas)
Crispy outside, creamy inside — that's what these cream croquettes are all about. You make a thick béchamel by cooking flour in butter and whisking in milk, fold in plenty of crab, chill it firm, shape, coat in breadcrumbs and fry. It's exactly how they make croquetas in Spanish tapas bars, so tuck in some cheese, bacon or jamón for an even better bite. Perfect with a glass of wine.
Ingredients
Cream Filling
- Milk300 g
- Butter40g
- Flour60 g
- Onion1
- Crab sticks18 sticks
- SaltA little
- Black pepperA little
Breading
- FlourAs needed
- Egg2
- BreadcrumbsAs needed
Directions
- 1
Finely chop the onion.
- 2
Shred the crab sticks into small strands along the grain.
- 3
Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the chopped onion until translucent.
- 4
Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring, until the raw flour smell is gone — this makes a roux.
- 5
Pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth and lump-free, to make a thick béchamel.
- 6
Add the shredded crab and season with salt and pepper.
- 7
Once well mixed, the filling will come together into one firm, dough-like mass.
- 8
Transfer to a container and chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes — this makes shaping much easier.
- 9
Once firmed up, take it out and shape into bite-sized pieces.
- 10
Coat each piece in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, in that order.
- 11
Fry in 170–180°C (340–355°F) oil until golden and crispy. If a breadcrumb surfaces in 3–5 seconds, the oil is at the right temperature.
Tips
For the frying temperature, drop in a breadcrumb — if it surfaces in 3–5 seconds, it's just right (about 170–180°C / 340–355°F). Tuck cheese or finely chopped bacon or jamón inside for a more authentic Spanish croqueta. If the filling is too soft it's hard to shape, so chill it thoroughly in the freezer.