Truffle croquettes recipe
Last Updated on
Total: 1 h 30 min Diners: 8
Along with tortilla and ensaladilla, croquettes are one of the most popular tapas in Spain. Such is the patriotic devotion for these creamy little morsels, that every January 16 is celebrated #eldiadelacroqueta.
The perfect croquettes, for my taste, have to be mellow and unctuous on the inside and with a thin crunchy batter on the outside. In addition, they have to have a clear taste of the main ingredient that we claim they contain. In this case, the option has been to prepare some really simple truffle croquettes because the only important thing is to have the natural truffle pesto that will be what gives flavor to our croquettes.
We thus move away from truffle oils and pastes that are not natural, that carry that added “whiff” that many of us recognize as truffle but that is not, and we advocate for a 100% natural and real product.
To make truffle pesto you have to grind real truffle with cashews and macadamias, and a little oil, or you can always buy it prepared, which is the best option. You can also use it to finish any dish: pasta, rice, mayonnaise, sabayon or any idea that comes to your mind. Croquettes are just one more example of everything that can be done with truffles but, in fact, croquettes are fabulous with anything we make them, right?
How to make truffle croquettes
Ingredients
. Whole milk, 1 liter Butter, 85 g Flour, 85 g Natural black truffle pesto, 1 tablespoon Salt, c/s Black pepper, c/s Free-range eggs, 2 u Breadcrumbs, 200 g Olive oil for frying, abundant
Step 1
The first thing will be to make the roux will give body to the béchamel. To do this in a saucepan we will put to melt the butter over low heat, so that it does not explode because it does so very easily. When the butter is melted we will have to add the flour and to stir with the help of some rods some minutes, so that the flour cooks losing the flavor to raw but that it does not get to brown. It is important to have a whisk because it will help us to avoid lumps.
On the other hand, it is advisable to heat the milk previously to avoid these lumps. The milk can be flavored, while it heats up, with some dried mushrooms, a little onion or leek or whatever you like. To give another differentiating point to the croquettes we could add a little goat’s or sheep’s milk. If we use fresh milk much better, always whole.
Step 2
When the roux already looks like a kind of bubbling cookie, add the milk and stir very well, turn up the heat to power 6/10 approximately and stir for 15 minutes, without stopping, until you get a worked and dense but not too hard béchamel sauce.
Step 3
Turn off the heat, add the salt and black pepper and allow to cool slightly. Add the natural black truffle pesto and stir well. Add the pesto when the béchamel is not too hot as the natural truffle loses its aroma if it comes into contact with too much heat.
Pour the preparation to a tray, cover with plastic wrap in contact with the béchamel and let stand in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 4
In one bowl beat the eggs and in another prepare the breadcrumbs. Roll the croquettes carefully, we can help us with a little oil on the hands, and pass first through egg and then breadcrumbs.
It is advisable to let the croquettes cool again in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before frying them. We can also, at this time, freeze them.
Step 5
Fry the croquettes in plenty of very hot olive oil, if they have been previously frozen finish 5 minutes in the oven at 180°C to make sure they are very tender inside and not with the heart still frozen. Pass through a paper towel so that they lose the excess fat before serving. If desired, you can grate a little more natural truffle on top.
