Dish · spanish
Croquetas
A thick bechamel mixed with minced ham, shaped into small logs once chilled and firm, then breaded and fried until the shell turns crisp and the inside stays molten.
Where it comes from
Bechamel-based croquettes spread through Spanish home kitchens and tapas bars as a way to use up leftover ham and stretch it further, becoming a fixture of the tapas repertoire.
What cooks argue about
The technical fight is the bechamel's thickness and chill time: a wetter mix gives a creamier interior but is harder to shape and more likely to burst open in the fryer.
Versions
Nobody has published a croquetas here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
butter
all purpose flour
breadcrumbs
egg