Serrano Ham and Manchego Croquetas with Smoked Pimentón Aioli

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A&M say: We always love hors d'oeuvres that can be made ahead and fried up quickly for a party, and these addictive Spanish croquetas fit the bill. The cheesy, ham-flecked dough is a cross between a choux (without the egg) and a floury bechamel. Once it cools and thickens up, you can put little (or big) helpers on ball-rolling duty. The crust fries up shaggy and golden from the panko, and the paprika aioli is pretty in pink, with an assertive garlic punch. - A&M

Sonali aka the Foodie Physician says: My husband and I celebrated our anniversary last year by taking a wonderful trip to Spain. Although we tried a countless number of tapas, our favorite was the croquetas- Spanish croquettes filled with different ingredients. My croquetas use classic Spanish ingredients like salty Serrano ham and nutty Manchego cheese. And to serve with them, I make an aioli using Pimenton de La Vera, a delicious sweet smoked paprika. You may want to make extra croquetas because your guests will gobble them up!

Makes 20-22

Serrano Ham and Manchego Croquetas

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped Serrano ham (can substitute prosciutto), about 1.8 oz
  • 1/3 cup grated Manchego cheese, about 1.8 oz
  • 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Smoked Pimenton Aioli

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Spanish sweet smoked paprika such as Pimentón de La Vera
  1. Heat the oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the flour and cook 1-2 minutes while whisking frequently. Gradually add the milk while whisking and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes. The mixture should be smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the ham, cheese and nutmeg. Cook another 1-2 minutes while stirring- the mixture will pull away from the sides of the pan. Taste the mixture and add salt if desired- the ham and cheese are salty so you probably won’t need to add any additional salt.
  2. Transfer the mixture to an 8x8-inch baking tray and spread it out so that it is even. Let the mixture cool, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
  3. When ready to cook the croquetas, lightly beat the eggs in a shallow dish. Mix the breadcrumbs and ½ teaspoon salt in another dish. Scoop up tablespoons of the cooled filling and form them into balls. Dip each ball into the egg and then the breadcrumbs. Place the completed croquetas on a wire rack or baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes. The croquetas must be chilled before frying otherwise they may fall apart in the oil.
  4. Meanwhile, make the aioli by pureeing the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and smoked pimentón in a blender or mini food processor. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Pour enough vegetable oil into a large stockpot to reach a depth of 1 inch and heat over medium high heat. Working in batches, fry the croquetas in the oil, turning them on all sides, until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with the smoked pimentón aioli.

Comments (66) Questions (3)

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20 days ago Nela

I made these over the Holidays and they were delicious. Please keep in mind that once you make the bechamel you must refrigerate in a baking pan for at least 2 hours prior to shaping the croquetas and refrigerate again for another 30 minutes before you can finish them. So I would recomend to start them a day ahead so all you have to is fry them and serve just before you are going to serve them. They are delicious and very filling. Just like the ones in Spain.

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23 days ago Urban Dubois

Thanks so much for this recipe and the step by step images for preparation. I have not tried it but I am certain these are addictive!

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23 days ago Urban Dubois

What is the difference between Spanish and Hungarian paprika? I just purchased a large, beautifully decorated can of hot Hungarian paprika. As infrequently as I use paprika it is way too much but couldn't resist.

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23 days ago ELISER

if you need any of this ingredients, you can buy here;
Spanish Food Online; www.ladespensashop.com

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about 1 month ago htan

I made these the other day for my baby shower. Unfortunately they also exploded like another reviewer said (In the question portion). I even measured/weighed out the cheese because it was thought that too much cheese would make that happen. Disappointed in the results, I couldn't even serve any of them, 2/3 of them had the cheese ooze out into my oil. I wonder what the problem was?

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about 1 month ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

I'm sorry to hear that! I think the most common reason for them exploding would be that they're not chilled enough. Did you refrigerate them for several hours to firm up the mixture before frying? Also, if you were frying them for too long or if the oil was too hot, that could have caused the problem. Finally, perhaps they weren't coated with enough breadcrumbs. Sometimes I crush the panko very finely to ensure an even crust.

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3 months ago Frankiefurt

Hi, I'm from Spain and, although this ones are great and are one of my favourites, here we have croquetas of almost everything. You can change the ham for boiled chicken, or for boiled codfish, or for boiled Spinachs or for boiled Shrimps. And we don't usually eat them with ali-oli. Ali-oli goes great with Fideuá, cuttlefish, Paella, etc. And the real Ali-Oli is just garlic and olive oil, but it's really difficult to make it. It requires a great patience and technique. We also usually do it with mayonnaise. ¡Hasta luego!

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3 months ago blanka.n

I have been dying to make these,

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3 months ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

Thanks, I hope you like them!

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10 months ago DIANELLY

this looks delocius and I will try to do it today. Can I change the sweet paprika for hot paprika? is so, how much should I put? thank you

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3 months ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

Yes, you can substitute sweet paprika. I would start with the same amount and then adjust to taste.

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about 1 year ago LE BEC FIN

hi sonali,want to thank you for this terrific recipe.You would have had me at Crunchy, but Gooey Cheesy and I was all yours! I made them last night for dinner for the 2 of us, to accompany chowbella's terrific recipe for Citrus Chimmichuri Pork Roast , whch i adapted for turkey .I had to MAKE myself eat my salad!

I did make a few changes. I added 1/8 cup grated/ground Parm , used 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (double yours) and , because i don't care for serrano, used Jone's Canadian bacon, my fav ham component.The parm made a huge difference and really brought together all the flavors.

I learned to pull them from the oil a little bit before I would have (because otherwise, they explode and lose their filling!)
I am new to 52 and was thrilled to have one of my citrus recipes chosen as a CP. thanks so much again and congrats on your well deserved win.

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about 1 year ago rheg18

I made these for new years eve. I used prosciutto since I couldn't find serrano ham.People keep asking me for the recipe because they enjoyed it so much. Thank you for sharing! This recipe is a keeper!

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about 1 year ago Laurie in Petaluma

I made these yesterday for a party and they are crunchy on the outside and full of creamy goodness on the inside. I liked that I could have them all ready to fry before my guests arrived. These will definitely be made again. Thanks so much for the fabulous recipe!

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about 1 year ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

Thanks so much for trying the recipe- I'm so happy you liked them!

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about 1 year ago Jenifer Mangione Vogt

These look amazing. I'm a big fan of finger food/appetizers. I'd rather eat a few different ones, than a dinner entree at times. So I'm always on the lookout for something tasty and original. I'll probably replace the Serrano with Prosciutto, but I can't wait to try this. Thanks!

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about 1 year ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

Thank you- I love finger foods too! Yes, Prosciutto would be a good substitute for the Serrano ham. Let me know how it goes if you try the recipe!

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about 1 year ago Cecilia Cuban espresso

I made these for a new years eve party and what a huge success! I fried them up and when we arrived a the party warmed them up on a 350 oven for 15 minutes. I made them with prosciuto and can only imagine how uh better they would be with Serrano ham.

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about 1 year ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

Thanks for your comment- I'm happy that they were still tasty after reheating in the oven!

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about 1 year ago niki5959

I have a question, did you use aged Manchego cheese or soft Manchego cheese? Thanks! Looking forward to making these for New Year's Eve!

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about 1 year ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

I used aged Manchego because that's what we had in Spain. Let me know how it goes if you make it and Happy New Year!

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about 1 year ago arahsay

This looks fantastic! I do have a question though. I'm going to a friends for New Years and wanted to take this. Could I cook them before I leave for her house? I tend to make a mess, and don't want to walk in and start making a mess, but we're good friends so I'm sure she would forgive me! :)

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about 1 year ago arahsay

This looks fantastic! I do have a question though. I'm going to a friends for New Years and wanted to take this. Could I cook them before I leave for her house? I tend to make a mess, and don't want to walk in and start making a mess, but we're good friends so I'm sure she would forgive me! :)

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about 1 year ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

You could probably do that but they wouldn't be as crispy. Maybe if you reheat them at a high temperature in the oven, they would crisp up. When I tested them, I reheated a few in the microwave later- they were still tasty but lacked the crunch of the original batch straight out of the oil. Have a happy new year!

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about 1 year ago OlgaMarie

These are VERY VERY good, they freeze perfectly!!!!

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about 1 year ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

I've never tried to freeze these before- thanks for giving me the idea! It would be great to freeze a large batch and then fry them up at the last minute.

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about 1 year ago stitchhappy

It seems you have created a hit here. I'm very excited to try these in my own kitchen... New Years eve being right around the corner we like to celebrate early and in bed early... LOL.. This recipe makes my mouth water just reading it. Thanks for keeping it simple enough so even I can make it. This is my first visit here but it won't be my last...

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about 1 year ago stitchhappy

It seems you have created a hit here. I'm very excited to try these in my own kitchen... New Years eve being right around the corner we like to celebrate early and in bed early... LOL.. This recipe makes my mouth water just reading it. Thanks for keeping it simple enough so even I can make it. This is my first visit here but it won't be my last...

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about 1 year ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

Thank you- so glad that I was a part of your first visit to food52! Celebrating New Year's Eve at home sounds great to me- let me know how it goes if you try the recipe!

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about 1 year ago Deanne

I made these for Christmas Eve tapas. They were incredible. They looked exactly like the picture and tasted fantastic. I used prosciutto, and I might use a tiny bit more next time. My husband said he was willing to divorce me and marry one of these "wonderful ham balls." Thank you for this delicious recipe.

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about 1 year ago Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

I'm so excited that you made these for your party and that they were a success- thanks so much! Yes, I think that these are definitely a crowd pleaser- after all, who doesn't love fried ham balls?! When I tested this recipe, my husband and I polished off the whole batch! :)