CHICKEN & SERRANO HAM CROQUETTES

I love croquettes, it is one of the dishes I grew up with in Catalonia. They are very popular with young children, and many times they are made in big batches and frozen so that they are always available. They have many variations, and you can make them with ham, cheese, fish, potatoes, etc., but these ones made with chicken are the most popular ones. They are delicious! Many times, people use the leftover chicken from a roast or a casserole to make the croquettes. Some people also add some mash potato in the mix, but they are not as 'melting in the mouth' as these ones. This is a very old recipe from a book that I inherited from my grandmother and it is called 'Art de ben menjar' - (The art of eating well)!!

Ingredients

25g butter

1 medium onion, chopped finely

100g Serrano ham or prosciutto, finely chopped

500g chicken breasts or thighs, previously cooked (it can be leftover roast chicken), finely chopped

3 Tbsp plain flour

500ml milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g butter, extra

1 egg, beaten

breadcrumbs

Peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying

Preparation

Fry the butter and chopped onion in a frying pan. When it has browned, add ham and boiled or roast chicken, all finely chopped; stir a few times and add three large tablespoons of flour, salt, pepper and half a litre of milk; leave to boil, stirring all the time until it is nice and thick. Remove from the heat, add 50g of butter, cover and leave to cool for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.

Make the croquettes. I made some large ones for dinner, and smaller ones for sharing as tapas or mezze.

Beat the egg in a small bowl. Put the breadcrumbs in another bowl or plate.

Get 1 - 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture, and shape the dough into croquettes. Dip in the beaten egg and then coat well with the breadcrumbs. Transfer to the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Put the peanut or vegetable oil in a medium pot or frypan or deep fryer. When the oil is hot, dip the croquettes in it, a few at a time, until all browned and cooked through. About 3 - 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter with kitchen paper and keep warm.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4 - 6

Here served with Lentil and pickled shallot salad with berbère croutons, a fantastic recipe from Ottolenghi.

Comments

TOMATO CARPACCIO WITH SPRING ONION & GINGER SALSA

There is only one trick to this salad: the tomatoes must be ripe! The rest is easy and it is so delicious, you will want to make it many times. It would be a fantastic side dish to accompany any recipe. It is exceptionally good. INGREDIENTS 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 3 spring onions, very finely sliced 40ml sunflower or olive oil 2 tsp good quality sherry vinegar 400g (beef) tomatoes (2-3 depending on size) sliced 2mm thick 1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 Tbsp finely shredded coriander 1 Tbsp olive oil flaked sea salt METHOD: Put the ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of flaked salt into a pestle and mortar and crush to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl with the spring onions and stir to combine. Put the oil into a small pan and place on a low heat until just warm: you don't want it to heat too much. Pour over the spring onions and add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Stir together and set aside. Chop the chili and shred the

SLOW-BAKED LAMB SHOULDER

This is a lamb recipe that is so delicious you are going to make it more than once. A favourite of friends and family. I like to accompany with a couscous salad with feta and almonds and a yoghurt and bean dip . Recipes in this blog. INGREDIENTS 1.8 - 2.2 kg lamb shoulder, with or without the bone 2 tsp sea salt flakes 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 6 sprigs rosemary, stripped and leaves chopped 1 Tbsp black peppercorns 100ml extra virgin olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon 3 Tbsp dried oregano 100ml white wine vinegar METHOD: Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan-forced). Trim extra fat from lamb. If you using a shoulder with the bone, make small incisions on the skin. Grind the salt, garlic, rosemary and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or small food processor. Add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and dried oregano. If using a boned shoulder, open out the lamb. Massage the marinade into the lamb. Make sure it goes into the small incisions. Place t

TOFU MEATBALL KORMA

Tonight's meal is the Ottolenghi's Korma Feast. Gosh it was delicious 😋 ! I have been super tired with work and haven't felt much like cooking. We have not been eating very well in the last couple of weeks.... But tonight we really had a great meal even though I had to spend hours in the kitchen 🙄 . But it was worth it 😁 . Tofu meatball korma & Spicy berbere ratatouille with Olive oil flatbreads . All made from scratch. Just superb! The tofu meatballs are just amazing. I have leftover tofu and will make a batch and freeze them for another day. I can eat them just with no sauce or any other sauce. They would be lovely with some tomato base sauce or any curry sauce. But even with a side vegetable dish or salad. My husband thought that they were made with mince meat!! Yum yum! Ingredients ½ red onion, thinly sliced (60g) 2 tbsp lemon juice 40g cashews 20g blanched almonds 6 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds removed 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp coriander seeds

THE BEST ONION GRATIN

I love this recipe. I have to stop myself for not eating more than I need. It goes really well as part of a baked dinner. When you try it, you'd want to make it again and again. 😍😋💚 Ingredients 4 medium red onions, peeled and quartered olive oil sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced a small wineglass of white wine 4 Tbsp crème fraîche 50g gruyère cheese, grated 50g parmesan cheese, grated Preparation Preheat the oven to 200°C. Break the onion quarters apart to give you little 'petals'. Place these in an earthenware oven dish. Drizzle with a couple of glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss in your thyme and garlic. Mix up well, add your white wine. Cover with a double layer of tinfoil, wrap tightly and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven, take the tinfoil off and pop the dish back in the ove

ROAST CABBAGE WITH PECORINO

This is the first time I cooked this recipe and it is amazing!! We had leftovers and served warmed the following day for lunch with family members and they all wanted the recipe. It is just a very different way to eat cabbage and it is scrumptious. From Ottolenghi's cookbook 'Simple'. INGREDIENTS 120ml olive oil 2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cabbage (sweetheart, pointed cabbage or other), cut lengthways into eighths a small handful of parsley or tarragon leaves, roughly chopped 30g of pecorino or parmesan cheese, shaved salt and black pepper METHOD: Preheat oven to 220°C. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Set aside 2 Tbsp. Arrange the cabbage on a parchment-lined tray and brush with the oil mixture. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden-brown. Transfer the c

HOMECOOKING WITH TERESA

Search This Blog