Cuban · appetizer

Croquetas de Jamon (Ham Croquettes)

Name: Croquetas de Jamon (Ham Croquettes)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 1 lb smoked ham, finely ground; 4 tbsp butter; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole milk; 1/2 onion, minced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; salt to taste; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 eggs, beaten; 1 cup breadcrumbs; 2 cups oil for frying

Croquetas de Jamon (Ham Croquettes) reads richness 6.9, umami 5.7 and salinity 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cuban appetizer, about 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.3 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.3 / 10
Sour & Bright — 0.4 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.9 · Umami 5.7 · Salinity 5.1 · Allium 4.4 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Smoke 1.4 · Sweetness 1.3 · Bitterness 1.2 · Nutty 1.1 · Heat 0.8 · Floral 0.8 · Earthy 0.7 · Herbaceous 0.5

What's in it (12)

1 lb smoked ham, finely ground
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 cups oil for frying

Time & effort: about 20 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 292.4 kcal, 22.3 g protein, 9.8 g fat, 27.9 g carbs

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

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Make a thick bechamel by melting butter, whisking in flour, and slowly adding warm milk until very thick; fold in finely ground ham, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Spread the mixture on a sheet pan and refrigerate until firm, then shape into small cylinders.
Dredge in flour, dip in beaten egg, roll in breadcrumbs, and fry in hot oil at 350F until golden all over.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Kotlet Schabowy (Breaded Pork Chop) — Polish
Frikadeller (Pan-Fried Pork and Veal Patties) — Danish
Leskovački Ćevapi (Leskovac Grilled Minced Fingers) — Serbian
Lokše (Potato Flatbreads with Goose Fat) — Slovak
Okra-Sausage Jambalaya — Southern

Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity 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.