Making croquettes during the holidays is common in many homes. This is because the meat that has been used to make the stew is used for the dough. In this way, the pieces of meat are given a second life and nothing is thrown away, a way of practicing sustainability in the kitchen.
If someone plans to use the meat from the escudella or other stews for this purpose, they may be wondering what the best parts are to make croquettes. The cook and CETT teacher, Ana Casanova, answers the question. "Chicken, pig's feet, black sausage... You can use all meats," she explains. Of course, the bones are not going to be used for the dough, "but if we prepare the stews with backbone or knee, we can use the marrow to make it," she points out.
It is important to use these bones with marrow for our broths, in addition to incorporating other parts such as chicken legs or pig's feet, because they will provide collagen to the preparation, which will be more gelatinous when it cools. That it acquires this texture is important for the next steps of the recipe, explains Casanova, who when preparing the filling for the croquettes, mixes the béchamel with a velouté, a clear sauce obtained by combining the stew broth with a roux (a mixture of flour and butter).
"If we make the dough this way, it will gain a consistency that will help us handle it comfortably, and when frying it, it will be more liquid," says the expert. On the other hand, since the velouté is made with the broth, which is where all the flavor of the meat is concentrated, it will enhance the taste of our croquettes.
The steps that the cook follows to make the dough are as follows: she prepares the roux, which she then mixes with the liquids (milk, broth and a little cream). When it has curdled a little, she adds the meat − "I like it to be big pieces, so I don't shred it too much," she points out −, she mixes again and adds onion that she has caramelized separately. Again, she stirs well and adds the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Once finished, spread it on a tray that is not too high so that it cools faster. He films it skin-on, that is, with the plastic attached to the dough, and puts it in the refrigerator. When it has cooled a little, remove it and let it rest at room temperature overnight and, the next day, shape it. The expert recommends that we always prepare more croquette filling and freeze some, "because it is a laborious process and, in this way, we will have them ready for other occasions."
To coat and fry the croquettes, Casanova also gives us some tricks. When he has shaped them, he dips them in egg beaten with salt and then coats them with panko, a Japanese breadcrumb that makes them crispier. "We can also make a homemade one with day-old country bread, but I do not recommend using industrial bread," he points out.
When frying them, "it is important that they are a little frozen and that we use a lot of oil, which must be very hot." This way, they will cook evenly and there will be no frozen parts. Once they are golden brown, they should be left to rest on some kitchen paper to expel the excess oil.
But the biggest secret to making good croquettes is none other than "using quality raw materials. If we prepare the broth with good product, we will have a delicious stew and equally tasty croquettes," he concludes.
