We will tell you the best tips to make the dough, shape it, even freeze it and always have your homemade croquettes available in a pinch. We also show you the best suggestions so that they stay crisp for much longer. Do you want to know how? Keep reading, we will tell you!
How to make the perfect croquettes dough
The dough of the croquettes consists of a thick béchamel sauce, but not too thick, otherwise they will be very hard. And is that something fundamental to get good croquettes is that the dough is at its point, so pay attention to these recommendations:
- To make the bechamel you need the same amount of flour as butter or oil, that is, between 120 and 160 g of each for each liter of milk. It’s that simple, although if you want them creamier, you will have to use 120-130 g of these ingredientsand, if not, if you want them more compact, you must use 150-160 g. Also keep in mind that the filling releases fat, especially in ham croquettes, so you will have to subtract a little butter or oil.
- The amount of filling for the size of the homemade croquettes will depend on your tastes, as well as adding onion to the béchamel sauce. In any case, you will have to use 150 g of meat for each liter of milk,although you can put more. The onion is best used with fillings that do not have much flavor, such as cooked chicken croquettes, as it is usually quite tasteless.
How to batter homemade croquettes
We must pay special attention when coating croquettes once we have the dough prepared. They have all been opened to us at some time when frying them, it is inevitable, but it can be avoided by coating them correctly. Thus, you will get perfect homemade croquettes that will not open, with a crunchy and not greasy batter . You should only take into consideration the following:
- When coating croquettes, it is better to use a couple of spoons, your own very clean hands or a pastry bag, trying to ensure that all the croquettes are of similar sizes.
- As for the batter, it must be uniform and always using three layers:first fine breadcrumbs or flour, then beaten egg and, finally, thicker breadcrumbs to get a crunchy batter. When you beat the egg, do it very well so that there are no lumps.
Making croquettes is quite entertaining, we are not going to fool you, so we assume that you will not make them for a single day. It is best to prepare a good quantity of croquettes and freeze them so that they are always available . Follow these tips before putting them in the freezer:
- Although you like large croquettes, if we are going to freeze them, it is better that their diameter does not exceed two centimeters. Thus, we can fry them without defrosting and they will be perfect. You can make the croquettes that you are going to fry at the moment and with the rest of the dough make smaller homemade croquettes.
- As for the ones that you are going to freeze, according to the batters, place them on a tray without touching each other. Put the tray in the freezer with the croquettes uncoveredwhen you have them all so that the batter dries up, so when you fry them they will be even more crisp. Once completely frozen, you can put the croquettes in an airtight bag or container and keep them for months.
How to batter homemade croquettes without egg
You can also coat croquettes with a special preparation that does not need an egg, although its base will always be the same: the bechamel. If you want to get perfect homemade croquettes without using eggs, first you will have to toast the flour very well in the oil or butter, depending on what you use. You can choose to put a little of both ingredients.
Later, when you go to add the milk, it is recommended that it be at room temperature and that you start stirring with a rod or wooden spoon from the moment it comes into contact with the flour, otherwise lumps will form.
You can put a little bit of nutmeg to give it a unique flavor along with the other ingredients. And without further ado, we show you the recipe for delicious ham croquettes without eggs that will also be perfect and crunchy.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 onion
- 50 g of cured ham in small cubes
- 55g butter
- 100 g of flour
- 300 ml milk
- Olive oil
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Special preparation without eggs for the batter
- Bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Steps to follow:
- Chop the onion and fry it in a skilletwith olive oil, butter, or a little of both, over medium heat. When it begins to brown, add the ham cubes and continue cooking a couple more minutes.
- Add the flour and stir without stoppinguntil it changes color and begins to brown.
- Then add the milk and stir until it begins to thicken. Salt and pepperand add nutmeg to taste, stir and remove from heat. Put the dough in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it cool for a couple of hours.
- Lastly, mix two tablespoons of milk with one of the special egg-free batter preparation. Form balls with the dough,pass them through this mixture and then through the breadcrumbs. Fry in plenty of hot oil until golden brown and… Enjoy your homemade ham croquettes!
