Oven-Baked Ham Croquetas

📝 Ingredients

• 40 g unsalted butter
• ½ brown onion (about 50 g)
• 160 g cooked ham (4 slices)
• 70 g plain flour
• 500 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 egg
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, black pepper, nutmeg

🍴 Utensils

• Heavy-bottomed saucepan
• Whisk
• Baking dish
• Cling film
• Frying pan
• Baking tray and baking paper

📖 Steps

1. Peel and very finely chop the half onion. Cut the ham into tiny 3 to 4 mm dice: the finer the pieces, the easier the croquetas will be to shape and bread without splitting.
2. Melt the butter in the saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and sweat it for 5 minutes, until translucent but not coloured, then add the ham and stir for 1 minute. Meanwhile, warm the milk for 2 minutes in the microwave.
3. Tip the flour in all at once over the onion and ham and stir for 2 minutes over a low heat with the whisk: it needs to cook to lose its raw flour taste, without browning. The mixture forms a sandy paste, which is normal.
4. Pour in the warm milk in four additions, whisking vigorously after each one to avoid lumps. Then cook for 8 to 10 minutes over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the béchamel is very thick and comes away from the sides of the pan. Season with nutmeg, pepper and a little salt.
5. Spread the mixture in the dish to a thickness of 2 cm and press cling film onto the surface to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours: once well chilled, it becomes firm and easy to shape.
6. Preheat the oven to 210 °C. In the frying pan, toast the breadcrumbs with the olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes over a medium heat, stirring, until golden: this is what gives oven-baked croquetas a deep-fried colour. Tip them onto a plate.
7. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl with a pinch of salt. With slightly wet hands, take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a 5 cm cylinder (about 20 pieces). Dip each croqueta in the egg, then in the golden breadcrumbs, pressing well.
8. Arrange the croquetas on the baking tray lined with baking paper, spacing them apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, turning them halfway through, until nicely golden and hot all the way through. Leave to rest for 3 minutes before serving: the inside is scalding.