03 April 2009

Did somebody say cow lips?...

Croquettes are a dish that you can find all over Spain. This is good to know, because when you are offered cow lips you can say "Gracias, yo preferio las croquetas..." A croquette is a breaded ball of thick bechamel which has been deep fried. In Spain, the most common are jamón serrano, cheese, fish, and boiled ham with hard boiled egg. You can add whatever you like. It´s a great way to get rid of leftovers. The following is made with meat I had leftover from some garbanzos I had made.
I used;
1/4 onion (finely chopped)
1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 kilo of boiled meat (finely shredded)
olive oil
7 soup spoons of flour (not heaping, and not leveled- something in between, really, your bechamel will come out perfect)
3/4 to 1 liter of whole milk
2 beaten eggs
bread crumbs
more flour
salt
black pepper

Fry onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add a little more oil and the meat. Heat meat for about a minute and then add the flour. Stir for about another minute and then start adding the milk, a little bit at a time. Don´t stop stirring. The bechamel will start to thicken. Season to taste and keep stirring. When it thickens, remove from the heat and pour the bechamel into a baking dish. Let cool completely.


When the bechamel has cooled, scoop with a soup spoon and roll into balls. Wet your hands first with water, so they don´t stick. Now roll first in the flour, then the beaten egg, and then the bread crumbs.


Heat olive oil in a pan on medium to high and deep fry your croquettes. They are ready when they are golden brown.


Croquettes with meat and onions...done...


20 comments:

Ian said...

Spain is a country which inspires people to cook and eat well. It's definitely up there in my Top 5 food countries.

Jeannette said...

Eeeeuw.....cow lips??? That certainly wouldn´t be on my list of foods to try.
But the croquettes...that looks yummie. In Holland we have kind of same thing, kroketten. You made me a bit homesick...
Have a nice weekend Jane,
Jeannette

Isabelle said...

I had no idea for the dinner, may be I will try these ... thanks for sharing the recipe

et lille oejeblik - a little moment said...

they look really good! and i am a sucker for deep fried food, i know it's not healthy, but once in a while. this dish looks like it can make it into one of those once in a whiles.

Unknown said...

Great recipe!
I will definitely try it...
Have a nice weekend!

outi said...

wow they look delicious. pity i don´t eat meat..but i could maybe use something else instead of jamon?
bon appetit!

Joyce said...

Thanks Jane! You really could put almost anything together with this, right? I like that this is a great way to use leftovers.

BTW cow lips are cute!

Have a golden weekend!

PS Jane thank you for your daily kind words. xoxo

Coucou Couture said...

is that you with the meticulous linen apron? i love it! reminds me of the book, French Laundry...

but going back to Spain...this sounds intriguingly delicious! i was going to share my tuna croquetas recipe but realized i don't have one...this is a fave dish from home! thanks for sharing, Jane! Spanish-tinged cultures and memories have a way of catching up on me...through you! muchissimas gracias, amiga!

Coucou Couture said...

p.s. i guess, try substituting tuna for the meat and let me know what you think...it was my grandmother's favorite dish...tuna croquetas and...Russian salad because it was a shocking pink color [because of the beets!]

Leciawp said...

Looks good! I really like that last photo.

Bonnie said...

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!

How I miss Spain and her food. Although I cook it often, it's not the same as eating it there ...

natsumi said...

They look Yummy! My mother used to make croquette and they're so delicious...

Thank you for the recipe!
Have a great weekend!

Schanett said...

ohoohoho...!!!
now I really have to improve my English... you're pushing me... ;-)
ohjeohje!
I'll do my best...
or I'll only put photos and no text anymore...
;-))

Schanett said...

like you're describing it it seems to be a very simply recipe?! and sounds delicious!
no excuse for not trying it in my kitchen!

Anonymous said...

yummm! sounds delish! oh how i wish i could cook.

by the way, i love your idea you left on my blog. i'm game!

Lisa said...

So good to know! Ugh, cow lips, I would die!

Anonymous said...

you crack me up! once when i was in paris i realized on my dinner plate was blood and guts (tripe et boudin) oh yumm

Palmer and Co said...

Oh, my! Looks delicious!!

L-O-V-E that last shot!!

Ani said...

ohhhh...this sounds so good. again, another one of your recipes i will have to try.

Ana Cristina Abreu said...

it looks delicious!
i love croquettes!!
i loved your blog!!

pink

I knew a girl who was blue. So she painted her world pink. xoxo