Spanish Spinach Croquettes

A popular Spanish snack that pairs perfectly with a glass of good wine. The croquettes are also great as a side dish or as a lighter main dish with a seasonal salad.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 120 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 40 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 475 ml Milk, whole milk

  • 150 ml Soup base, chicken, cube

  • 90 g Butter, unsalted

  • 0.5 piece Onion, raw

  • 1 pod Garlic, fresh

  • 125 g Wheat flour, white, multi-purpose

  • 200 g Spinach, raw

  • 2 spoons Pine nuts

  • pieces Salt, table

  • 2 piece Egg, fresh

  • 200 g Breadcrumbs, dried

  • pieces Oil, vegetable oil, canola

Steps

  1. Clean the spinach, wash it, and quickly blanch it in boiling water until it wilts and softens. Drain the blanched spinach, squeeze out the excess water, and chop it finely. Pour milk and broth into a pot and slowly bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once the liquid boils, reduce the heat to low so it stops boiling but remains hot.

  2. Peel the garlic and onion, and finely chop them separately. In another pot, melt the butter cut into cubes and slowly sauté the garlic and onion over low heat until they soften. Add the flour and continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for another 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the flour.

  3. Gradually pour the hot milk and broth mixture into the pot while stirring continuously. Once all the liquid is added, increase the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes until you get a thick, silky sauce.

  4. Remove the pot from the heat and mix in the chopped pine nuts and spinach. Season the mixture with pepper and salt to taste, then transfer it to a shallow bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to cool and firm up.

  5. Spread breadcrumbs on a shallow plate and beat the eggs in a deep plate. Lightly oil your hands, then shape the cooled mixture into thicker croquettes. Dip each croquette first in the beaten eggs, then roll them in the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded croquettes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using about 1.5 tablespoons (30 g) of mixture for each croquette. Once all the croquettes are prepared, refrigerate the baking sheet for 1 hour.

  6. Pour oil into a large pot and heat it to 190°C (375°F). Fry the breaded croquettes in the hot oil until golden brown. Once fried, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.

  7. Serve the croquettes while they are still hot. You can offer various sauces as a side.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 281.73 kcal
  • Fat: 13.73 g
    • Saturated Fat: 6.28 g
  • Carbohydrates: 29.78 g
    • Sugars: 1.63 g
  • Protein: 7.21 g
  • Fiber: 2.09 g

Advice

Spinach can be replaced with Swiss chard or young nettles.