José Pizarro’s Hake Croquetas
These Spanish croquetas are made with hake and bechamel sauce before being fried to golden, crispy perfection. They make the best tapas served with a tangy aioli sauce.
Introduction
Do you like croquetas? Maybe it’s a stupid question – doesn’t everyone? When they’re made well, I think these are the best croquetas in the world – and, of course, this recipe is from my mum. The hake recipe on page 85 of Spanish Home Cooking is more or less the same as here, but without the salsa (although you could make the salsa and use it as a dip, if you like). Once you’ve battered the croquetas, you can freeze them – just take them out 30 minutes before you want to fry them. My mum always has croquetas in the freezer for when I pay her a surprise visit! Always prepared. I know you will love this recipe.
Ingredients
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 large | onion, finely sliced |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 200ml (7fl oz/scant 1 cup) | white wine |
| 300g (10½ oz) | fresh hake fillet |
| 3 tbsp | plain (all-purpose) flour |
| 1 large | free-range egg, beaten |
| 125g (4oz/generous 2 cups) | panko breadcrumbs |
| 1.2 litres (40fl oz/4¾ cups) | vegetable or olive oil |
| Bechamel | |
|---|---|
| 75ml (2½fl oz/5 tbsp) | olive oil |
| 75g (2½oz/scant ⅔ cup) | plain (all-purpose) flour |
| 250ml (8½fl oz/1 cup) | full-fat (whole) milk |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| Aioli (to serve) | |
| 1 | free-range egg yolk |
| 1 | garlic clove, crushed |
| finely grated zest of 1 | lemon, plus juice to taste |
| 1 tsp | white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar |
| pinch of | sea salt |
| 150ml (5fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) | olive oil |
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and gently fry the onion with the bay leaf for 15 minutes until really lovely and soft. Add the white wine and hake to the pan, then increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Scoop out the hake and onion with a slotted spoon. Reserve 150ml (5fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) of the cooking juices and set aside, discarding the bay leaf.
Place the hake and onion in a food processor and whizz to combine.
To make the bechamel sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes, then gradually add the reserved cooking juices, followed by the milk, stirring continuously until you have a very thick, smooth sauce. Season well, then stir in the whizzed hake and onions. Mix together, then spoon into a dish and chill for at least 2 hours.
Once chilled, take spoonfuls of the mixture (about 30g/1oz each) and shape each one into an oval.
Put the flour in one shallow dish, the egg in a second and the breadcrumbs in a third. Dust each croqueta with flour, then coat in egg and finally in crumbs. Place them on a baking sheet and chill until ready to cook (you can also freeze them at this point).
Pour the oil into a large, deep saucepan and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Fry the croquetas a few at a time, cooking them for 2–3 minutes until golden brown and piping hot. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt and repeat with the remaining croquettes then serve with the alioli (see below).
Aioli
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, lemon zest and vinegar. Season with a good pinch of sea salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until you have a thick, luscious aioli. Add lemon juice to taste and set aside.
Reviews
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for your rating. Our team will get back to any queries as soon as possible.
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.
