Spanish · snack

Croquetas de Jamón

Name: Croquetas de Jamón
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 4 oz finely diced jamón serrano; 2 cups whole milk; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 onion, finely minced; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; salt to taste; 1/4 tsp white pepper; 2 eggs, beaten; 1 cup fine breadcrumbs; 3 cups vegetable oil for frying

Croquetas de Jamón reads richness 6.3, heat 4.1 and allium 3.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Spanish snack, about 2 hr 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 3.3 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 2.0 / 10
Sour & Bright — 1.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.5 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.3 · Heat 4.1 · Allium 3.5 · Salinity 3.1 · Umami 1.9 · Sourness 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.7 · Sweetness 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Bitterness 1.2 · Fruity 1.2 · Nutty 0.9 · Floral 0.8 · Earthy 0.7

What's in it (11)

4 oz finely diced jamón serrano
2 cups whole milk
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 onion, finely minced
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt to taste
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
3 cups vegetable oil for frying

Time & effort: about 2 hr 30 min (30 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 294.8 kcal, 18.2 g protein, 12.4 g fat, 36 g carbs

Dietary: Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Make an intensely thick béchamel with butter, flour, and milk, folding in jamón and seasoning generously; cool completely until firm enough to shape.
Form into small cylinders, coat in flour, beaten egg, and fine breadcrumbs, and refrigerate until firm.
Fry in hot oil until uniformly golden and the interior is creamy and molten.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Machaca con Huevo — Mexican · Norteño
Fërgesë Tirane me Gjizë (Peppers and Curd in the Pan) — Albanian
Sarson ka Saag with Makki di Roti — Indian · Punjab
Menemen — Turkish
Palak Paneer with Garlic Naan — Indian

Keep reading: what richness, heat, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.