Croquetas For Croquetas Y Pulpos Recipes

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl or in the food processor combine mashed potatoes, cheese, ham and eggs. Season with plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should still be wet enough so the bread crumbs stick to the croquettas. Form into croquettas (makes about 2 dozen, medium-sized) and dip into panko bread crumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Pat lightly so the crumbs stick. Lay out on a tray, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before frying.
• To fry, heat 1-inch of vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or heavy bottomed pot, over medium heat to about 360 degrees F. Fry in small batches, turning once until evenly browned. Each batch should take approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with kosher salt. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with chives and shaved manchego. Serve with Romesco Sauce.
• Toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer almonds to a blender. Add roasted red peppers, egg yolk, garlic, zest, and season with salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to combine the ingredients. With the blender on low speed drizzle in the olive oil. Once it begins to emulsify, stop the blender and add the orange juice, and sherry vinegar. Buzz once more to fully emulsify.
• *RAW EGG WARNING
• Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs. Due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

Steps:

• Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain.
• Put potatoes back in pan and heat over low flame until completely dry, stirring to prevent scorching.
• Put potatoes in a food processor with the egg yolks, butter, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times.
• Add the nutmeg, sherry, parmesan, mustard and parsley. Pulse until the consistency of very thick mashed potatoes. If the mixture is too wet or runny, put mixture in a large bowl and incorporate a bit of flour, working in with your hands.
• Adjust seasoning, then form small cylinders (about 3 x 1 inches).
• Roll croquettes in seasoned flour to cover, shaking off excess.
• Dip in beaten egg mixture, then roll them in breadcrumbs. Set aside and repeat until all potato mixture is used up.
• Deep fry at 375 degrees until golden brown, drain and keep warm until served.
• NOTE: these can be prepared in advance thru step #7 and refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring to room temp before frying.

Steps:

• Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute without browning. Gradually whisk in milk, 1/4 cup at a time, to obtain a smooth, thick sauce. Turn heat to low, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes. Thin if necessary with a tablespoon or so more milk, but keep it the consistency of whipped cream.
• Make the crab mixture: Put crab meat in a mixing bowl and add warm béchamel. Stir in roasted peppers, cayenne, scallions, cilantro, and lemon zest and mix gently until ingredients are well incorporated. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning. Spread mixture on a baking sheet in a layer about 1 inch thick, cover and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. (The crab mixture can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated.)
• Assemble the croquetas: Arrange 3 small shallow bowls on a work counter. Add 1 cup of flour to one bowl, then season it with salt and pepper. In second, add the beaten eggs. Fill the third bowl with bread crumbs. Weigh 1-ounce portions of the crab mixture and place on wax paper. Roll each portion in seasoned flour, then dip into egg and finally roll in crumbs, forming each gently into a sphere. Put breaded croquetas on a clean baking sheet and sprinkle with more crumbs. Repeat until all are breaded. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to fry.
• Make the garlic-almond sauce: Put almonds in a food processor and blend thoroughly, until finely ground. Add garlic and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, add a faint drizzle of olive oil as sauce thickens. The oil must be added very slowly or the sauce will separate or break. Continue adding the oil until it is all incorporated. Season sauce with salt to taste. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• To fry croquetas, pour vegetable oil to depth of 2 inches in a wide, deep saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring oil to 375 degrees. Working in small batches, fry croquetas on each side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. (Too many in the pan risks significantly lowering the temperature of the oil.) Remove croquetas with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Season lightly with salt and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat until all croquetas are fried. Pile them on a serving platter and serve with garlic-almond sauce for dipping.

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the ham and onion until coarsely ground. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Quickly whisk in 1/2 cup flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and tan, 2 to 3 minutes. While whisking, gradually add 1 cup milk, then continue whisking until the mixture thickens to the consistency of soft mashed potatoes, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour and use a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to stir until very thick, firm and a darker shade of brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Some browning on the bottom of the pan is OK.
• To the pan, add the ham mixture, parsley, garlic powder and salt, and vigorously mix until the ingredients are evenly incorporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a sheet pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper and pat into a 9-by-7-inch rectangle. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
• Cut the chilled paste into 21 (3-by-1-inch) rectangles, then gently roll each into a 3-inch-long cylinder. Make sure the croquetas are smooth and without cracks. Place the croquetas on the sheet pan and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Place the cracker crumbs on a plate. In a medium bowl, combine the egg and remaining 2/3 cup milk, and whisk until combined.
• Submerge 4 to 5 chilled croquetas in the milk mixture to thoroughly coat, then transfer immediately to the crackers, making sure the croquetas are coated in the crumbs. Return to the sheet pan and repeat with the remaining croquetas. Freeze again until firm but not frozen, 15 to 30 minutes. Don't freeze for longer than 30 minutes as they may burst in the hot oil.
• Towards the end of the chilling time, fill a small Dutch oven or heavy saucepan with oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Heat over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, use a croqueta as a test piece: Carefully drop in 1 croqueta. If it immediately begins to fry and brown, the oil is ready. Carefully add 2 to 3 croquetas and fry, turning if needed to evenly cook, until golden brown,1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining croquetas, working in batches and adjusting the heat to maintain the oil temperature. Serve immediately with lime wedges, hot sauce and saltine crackers.