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Mushroom croquetas
Croquetas de setas: crisp outside, molten mushroom béchamel inside
Croquetas are the pride of Spanish home cooking and tapas bars alike: a thick, silky béchamel full of flavour, chilled, rolled in egg and breadcrumbs and fried until crisp. Every family has its own; ham and chicken are classic, but croquetas de setas, made with wild or chestnut mushrooms, are found all over the country and are especially loved in the mushroom-picking regions of Castile and Catalonia. A good croqueta is creamy, almost liquid, inside, with a thin shell. Make a big batch: they freeze beautifully raw. Chef's tip: cook the flour in the butter and oil for a full 2 minutes and then beat the milk in slowly over a low heat for 10–15 minutes; this long cooking takes away the raw taste of flour and gives the creamy centre that makes Spanish croquetas special.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the filling
For coating and frying
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Melt 2 ⅛ oz butter with 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add 1 onion and cook gently for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned.
5 minStep 2: Add 10 ½ oz mixed mushrooms (chestnut, shiitake, oyster or wild), 1 clove garlic and ⅓ oz dried porcini, turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their water, it has evaporated and they smell nutty.
8 minStep 3: Turn the heat to medium-low, sprinkle in 3 ⅛ oz plain flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. It should look like damp sand and smell toasty, not raw.
2 minStep 4: Add 3 ¼ cups whole milk a ladle at a time (with the porcini soaking water, if using, strained), beating hard after each addition so no lumps form. Season with 1 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
3 minStep 5: Keep cooking over a low heat, stirring and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon, for 10–15 minutes, until the béchamel is very thick, glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan in a ball. A spoon drawn through it should leave a clear trail.
15 minStep 6: Spread the mixture in a shallow dish, press cling film right onto the surface to stop a skin forming and leave to cool. Chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight) until firm enough to shape.
60 minStep 7: Set out three plates: the chilled filling, 2 eggs and 5 ½ oz fine dry breadcrumbs. With two spoons or lightly oiled hands, shape heaped tablespoons of filling into small logs about 5 cm long; you should get about 24.
Step 8: Roll each croqueta in egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs on so there are no gaps. Any gap lets the filling burst in the oil. Chill for 15 minutes; or freeze them now on a tray, then bag them up.
15 minStep 9: Heat 2 ½ cups olive or sunflower oil in a deep pan to 350°F (a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds). Fry 5–6 croquetas at a time for 2–3 minutes, turning, until deep golden all over. Don't crowd the pan, or the oil cools and they split. Fry frozen ones straight from the freezer for 4 minutes.
12 minStep 10: Drain on kitchen paper and rest for 2 minutes before serving; the inside is molten and very hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mushroom croquetas take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 80 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of mixed mushrooms (chestnut, shiitake, oyster or wild)?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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