A recipe by Chef José Andrés
Chef José Andrés started his career at the world-renowned elBulli under his mentor’s direction and friend Ferran Adrià. Today, he is one of the most internationally recognized culinary innovators. Besides being a New York Times bestselling author, educator, television personality, humanitarian, and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. Time magazine nominated him the “100 Most Influential People” in both 2012 and 2018. He was also awarded the “Outstanding Chef” and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation.
In the US, Chef José Andrés has become a pioneer of Spanish Tapas and avant-garde cuisine. To experience Chef Jose Andrés exquisite cuisine, you can do it at any of its 30 plus restaurants throughout the country or through delicious recipes as this delicious Turkey Croquetas. Croquetas take entirely care of any leftovers from your holiday cooking, whether turkey, ham, vegetables, or Christmas goose!
Turkey Croquetas (aka Leftover Croquetas)
Ingredients
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2½ cups all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg
10 ounces turkey, ham, or another meat, cooked and shredded (or substitute in chopped root vegetables or frozen peas)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 cups Spanish extra-virgin olive oil (we recommend this blend for frying)
Directions
- Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 ½ cups of the flour and continue stirring vigorously until well combined. Cook for about 3 minutes until the mixture smells nutty and becomes beautifully golden in color. Pour the milk into the mix, stirring continuously, and cook for about 2 minutes, until you have a thick béchamel sauce—season to taste with ½ teaspoon of salt and nutmeg.
- Add the shredded meat or chopped vegetables and mix in until well combined. Cook for another 2 minutes, until you have a thick mixture. Carefully pick up a bit of the mix and try to ball it with your hands. It should not be too sticky. If it does stick to your hands, allow the mixture to cook a little longer. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet to allow it to cool.
- Once it is cool enough to handle, take a spoonful and roll it in your hands to make a small cylinder about a wine cork size. Roll the cylinder in the remaining 1 cup of flour, then in the eggs, then in the breadcrumbs, and set aside another cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture. You should end up with about 36 croquetas.
- In a small deep-frying pan, heat the olive oil to 375 F. Working in batches, carefully add the croquetas, making sure they are entirely covered in oil. Fry until golden, about 1 minute, then transfer to a tray lined with a paper towel to drain. Be sure to allow the oil to return to 375 F between batches.
- Season with salt and serve hot.