One of the best things about Spanish gastronomy is that we are the kings of utilization. Nothing is thrown away and the remains of one recipe are used to make another. From the old clothes of the Madrid stew to the mule garlic, passing through an undisputed classic of the recipes of use: the croquettes. And since we're talking about croquettes, what better way to do it than with the tricks of Marbella chef Dani García.
On his YouTube account he gives the keys to getting the perfect ham croquettes, which are crunchy, creamy and elegant as the chef himself confirms. The curious thing is that Dani García adds something to the bechamel that maximizes its creaminess and that is an ingredient that I honestly did not expect, cream cheese.
How to make Dani García's ham croquettes
To make Dani García's croquettes we need a liter of whole milk, 150 of Iberian ham, 50 grams of unsalted butter, 60 grams of wheat flour, 75 grams of cream cheese, two eggs and more flour and breadcrumbs for the coating. He also adds some mint leaves to provide an extra aroma.
The first thing Dani García does is infuse the milk with ham, a way to enhance its flavor even more. The chef adds lean pieces of ham (you could add a ham bone as if you were making a stew) and also mint to give it aroma. He adds it when it is boiling and then turns off the heat and covers it with plastic wrap, as if he were making an infusion. We reserve it and continue while it is tempered with the roux. To make it, we add butter to a saucepan and when it is hot, we add wheat flour. “The roux must be cooked very well and toasted so that it doesn't taste like flour,” explains the chef. It is important here that we do not stop moving so that it does not burn, but it is necessary that it acquires a darker tone.
When it is ready, we add the milk that we pass through a strainer so that nothing falls into the mixture and we stir very well so that no lumps come out. “The more you cook the béchamel, the better it will be,” warns García, so don't be in a hurry and let it cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. The chef has it cooking for a total of 20 minutes, so calm down. We cut the ham tacos and add them to cook together for a couple more minutes. Here it depends on taste, there are those who prefer larger pieces and others smaller, but it is interesting that we do not add it super chopped so that when you bite into the croquette, it is noticeable.
You may have noticed that we haven't salted the bechamel, but the chef explains it. “Ham is salted, so the salt must be just right and added at the end,” and always testing to adjust it. With the heat off, we add the cream cheese to gain creaminess. “Some people add cream, but cream cheese goes great with ham and mint.” It is important, he clarifies, “to do it at the end because if we did it by boiling “it would lose many properties.”
The chef points out as a tip to make the croquettes with the help of two spoons and freeze them because “it is better to bread them with the frozen dough.” For the batter, use flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, in that order, repeating the last two steps. What it does is a double batter because the croquettes are creamier and this way they do not break. After coating them, put them in the refrigerator for a while so that the coating stays in place and doesn't come off when you fry them.
To fry them we only need plenty of oil. “The important thing is the temperature, about 150ºC” so that it is crispy but cooked inside. Now all that's left is to eat them, but for that you don't need a step by step.
