Croquetas de Jamón "De la Prisa"
El Desayuno y La Merienda: Mornings & The Afternoon Respite
When Cuban families rebuilt their lives in the States, they brought an insatiable craving for the homeland's croquetas—but left the heavy, hand-cranked meat grinders behind. Enter the mid-century miracle of canned deviled ham. This 'De la Prisa' (in a hurry) adaptation was the brilliant, subversive trick of exile mothers wanting to feed their kids something authentic on a Tuesday night. It yields a rich, nutmeg-scented gravy that fries into a flawless golden cylinder, tasting exactly like a memory from a Miami ventanita. Keep the dough ice-cold and double-bread the crust; respect the thermodynamics, and it will never let you down.
Before you start
The weeknight freezer trick.
Once breaded, the raw croquetas can be frozen on a tray and stored in a ziplock bag for emergency cravings. Fry them straight from frozen, simply adding an extra minute or two to the cook time.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter4 tbsp
- yellow onion1/4 cup
- garlic1 small clove
- all-purpose flour3/4 cup
- whole milk1 1/2 cup
- canned deviled ham4 1/4 oz
- deli-style sweet ham1 cup
- vino seco1 tbsp
- ground nutmeg1/4 tsp
- salt1/2 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- eggs2 large
- galleta molida1 1/2 cup
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- vegetable oil1 qt
Method
- 01
Build the flavor base.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and sauté the onion and garlic until completely soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- 02
Create the roux.
Sprinkle the 3/4 cup of flour over the onions, whisking constantly for up to two minutes to cook out the raw cereal taste and form a pale paste.
- 03
Emulsify the liquid.
Pour in the warm milk about a quarter cup at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition to prevent lumps until the sauce is deeply thick and creamy.
- 04
Flavor and thicken the masa.
Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the deviled ham, sweet ham, vino seco, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, cooking for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture forms a cohesive mass that pulls cleanly away from the pot.
- 05
Chill the dough completely.
Transfer the thick paste to a shallow dish, press plastic wrap directly onto its surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours to solidify the butterfats.
- 06
Shape the croquetas.
Working with lightly oiled hands, scoop out rounded tablespoons of the thoroughly chilled dough and roll them into small cylinders about three inches long.
- 07
Double-bread the cylinders.
Lightly dust each log in the remaining half-cup of flour, submerge in the egg wash, roll in the cracker meal, then dip back into the egg and cracker meal a second time for critical structural integrity.
- 08
Fry to golden perfection.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F and fry the croquetas in small batches for roughly three to four minutes until deeply golden and crisp, then drain on paper towels.
Notes
Respect the frying dynamics.
If the oil exceeds 375°F, the cracker meal will burn before the interior has time to melt; if it drops below 350°F, the croquetas will absorb grease, expand, and violently burst.
Sourcing the cracker meal.
If your grocery store lacks galleta molida in the Hispanic foods aisle, simply pulverize a sleeve of premium saltine crackers in a food processor until they resemble fine sand. Never substitute Italian breadcrumbs.
The vino seco substitute.
Edmundo is the standard brand of Cuban cooking wine found in the US, but any dry sherry or a crisp dry white wine like Pinot Grigio works perfectly to cut through the rich pork fat.
From Cook Cuban in America.