Weekend Cook! Ham and Cheese Croquettes!

Hey from EL The Cook!

We pull out an old family classic out of our recipe book, called the croquette and transform it into a super delicious finger food, fit for most gastro-pubs!

The delicate breadcrumbed morsel is familiar to India in the form of Aloo Tikki. Well known all round the world, croquettes are thought to have been derived from the french word "croquer" or crunch.

The blossoming gastro-pub scene flourishes on snacks like these! Prepared with delicious panko breadcrumbs, which give them their exciting crunch.

Panko breadcrumbs are now widely available, but are more expensive than regular breadcrumbs because they are prepared by electrification of bread. This makes them crunchier and less prone to oil absorption making them healthier!

Combined with this epic crunch, and a filling of smoky ham and liquid cheese filling, these little bundles of joy are a pleasure to eat! 

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4)

• 200 gm finely sliced smoked ham
• 1 large floury par-boiled potato
• 1 cup whole milk
• 15 gms butter
• 15 gms plain flour 
• 250 gms panko breadcrumbs
• 50 gms grated cheddar cheese
• 2 large free range eggs
• A little plain flour for dusting
• 300 ml vegetable oil for deep frying
• Chive flakes
• Parsley flakes
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT:

• Large bowl
• 2 small bowls
• Chefs knife
• Cutting board
• A large wok
• A medium skillet
• A saucepan for deep frying
• Serving Plates
• Kitchen towels

METHOD:

Cheese Stuffing:

• Melt butter in large pan over a medium heat. Add flour and whisk to cook out roux for 3-4mins. (What is a roux? Find out here.)Gradually add cold milk while whisking, allowing mixture to come to a boil. Add cheese and stir to combine.
• Garnish with chive flakes and dried parsley. Flavour with salt and pepper to taste
• Now gradually add the grated potato to the mix to make a dough. If its too wet add flour. If its too dry add milk. Check our video above for the right consistency.

Ham Preparation:

• Finely slice the ham with your chefs knife
• Add to a medium skillet on high heat and infuse that smoky flavour
• Pan fry for 5 minutes until golden brown.
• Now combine the ham and cheese filling till you get a nice firm dough.

Forming the croquettes:

• In 2 small bowls, separately add your beaten egg in one bowl and panko breadcrumbs in another.
• Consecutively dunk the formed croquettes in the egg wash and then in the breadcrumbs and place on a kitchen towel.
• Heat oil in the saucepan and test by adding a few breadcrumbs to the oil, they should sizzle!
• Deep fry the crumbed croquettes for 2 minutes on either side.
• Remove from oil and leave to rest on a kitchen towel for 5 minutes.

Try this fabulous recipe with some chilled beers or drinks this weekend. 

An age old classic transformed into a contemporary pub snack, EL The Cook wishes you a great weekend!