Deer Ham Spanish Croquettes (Croquetas de Jamon)
Get your fried food fix with these crispy Deer Ham Spanish Croquettes made with a creamy bechamel filling. These Croquetas de Jamon are bursting with flavor and a great idea to serve at your next party.
Servings: 24 croquettes
Ingredients
Croquetas
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Half & Half
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cups deer ham, diced
Breading for Croquetas
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten + 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Melt butter and oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes
- Add the flour and whisk in to incorporate it completely. Sauté the flour for about 2 minutes, making a roux, until it begins to turn a light brown color and smells toasted.
- Add the half & half a little at a time, stirring constantly to incorporate each addition, until you have added it all. Continue stirring the mixture for a few minutes until it is creamy, thick, and smooth.
- Add the nutmeg, salt, black pepper, paprika, and diced deer ham. Mix well.
- Remove your mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and spread out to a thin layer and place in refrigerator to cool completely and set (about 1 hour).
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Then place the beaten eggs in a second shallow bowl. And finally, place the panko breadcrumbs in a third separate bowl.
- Working with roughly 2 Tablespoons of dough at a time, shape them into little, fat thumb-size ovals.
- Roll each croquette in the flour, coating completely.
- Next, dip each croquette, one at a time, in the beaten egg, turning to coat.
- Finally, roll them in the panko breadcrumbs, pressing to coat.
- Now you can heat ½ inch of vegetable or canola oil over med high heat in a cast iron skillet until it reaches 350 degrees F (When you drop a little flour or bread crumbs into the oil and they sizzle, the oil is ready.)
- Fry the croquettes in batches of 8 at a time, making sure not to crowd the oil, about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Remove the croquettes from the oil and place them on a paper towel lined platter to cool slightly. Serve warm.
