Spanish Croquettes

The Recycled Cook

By Adrian Sleeman

Spanish Croquettes



Anyone who has been to Spain will I am sure be familiar with these lovely potato and cheese savouries called Croquetas. Strictly speaking I suppose these are Welsh Croquettes but I am sure nobody will mind.

 In keeping with the theme of this blog this is another way of using up leftovers, in this case I have used leftover mashed potato, cheese and ham.

 To make these as vegetarian dish simply leave out the ham and possibly add some cooked onion or red pepper instead.
Mix the cheese ham and mashed potato in a large bowl then add some smoked Paprika or Pimienton. 

 This comes in a Sweet "Dulce" variety or a spicy "Picante" version which is 
my preference.

 You shouldn't need to add egg to bind these as the natural starch in the potato combined with the cheese should be sufficient.

 Roll them in the palms of your hand into a ball and then form them into the traditional cigar shapes. You could of course make them any shape you like but I like the traditional Spanish look of these.

These can now be put in the fridge until you are ready to cook them or they could be cooked straight away. I would recommend chilling the for at least half an hour as this will firm up the starch and make hem less likely to break up while cooking.

 When you are ready to cook the Croquettas you will need three plates, one for the  seasoned flour, one for the beaten egg and one for the breadcrumbs.

 At this point I should tell you to use the previously frozen breadcrumbs that you have saved in your freezer but I really like the delicate crispness you get from using Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs but ordinary breadcrumbs work just fine.


Roll each one in the flour making sure to coat it well and shake off any excess, dip in the egg, again making sure to cover the entire Croquette and then carefully roll individually in the breadcrumbs to coat all over.

 You could put the breadcrumbs in a bag and shake the Croquette in this which coats them evenly but I find this way just as easy.


Shallow fry in a little oil turning frequently until golden brown all over. Don't rush this stage by cooking on too high a heat or they will burn and not heat through properly, particularly important if you are adding the cooked ham. Drain on kitchen roll to ensure that your Croquettas stay nice and crispy. Serve on their own, with a home made chutney, with Tomato Ketchup or Chilli Sauce.
These Croquettas can also be made as part of a range of Tapas dishes. I served mine with a slice of home made Tortilla Espanola which I will show you how to make in my next blog. 

 Tapas is a great way to eat and also a great way to use your imagination with leftover ingredients. Watch out for a whole range of Tapas dishes coming soon on this blog.

 Disclaimer: The suggestions and tips on these blog pages are meant to be used in conjunction with common sense. Keeping your family healthy is the priority. Do not use food that is unfit for human consumption and always follow sensible food hygiene guidelines.


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