HAM AND MUSHROOM CROQUETAS

Serves 8 Prep 15 min Chill 1 hr

Cook 10 min

2 tbsp (30ml) butter

4 tbsp (60ml) flour + 1/ 3 cup (80ml)

extra for dusting

1 cup (250ml) milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper,

to taste

1/ 3 cup (80ml) mature Cheddar, grated

2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil

1 punnet black mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

100g Serrano ham or any ham of your

choice, chopped (optional)

1 egg, beaten

½ cup (125ml) breadcrumbs

1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil

For the white sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the flour. Stir to form a roux or thick paste.

Remove from the heat and slowly add some milk, whisking well to get rid of any lumps. Add the remaining milk and return to the heat. Continue whisking until the sauce has thickened. Add the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms and fry for 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened. Add the garlic and continue to fry until the pan is dry. Season to taste and allow to cool before adding to the chilled white sauce, along with the ham (if using).

Spoon out 1 tbsp (15ml) of the batter and roll into a ball, dipping it into the extra flour if necessary. Dip in the egg, and roll in the breadcrumbs.

Place the croquetas in the fridge to firm up for 10 minutes.

Heat the vegetable oil and fry small batches of croquetas for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel. Serve with a spicy tomato sauce for dipping or as is.

#ham #mushroom #croquetas