(14) Spanish Ham Croquettes

This was part of our Basque/Spanish night with the cooking club! I was skeptical - BIG TIME about this recipe, but they turned out great! They feel like they've GOT to have cheese in them, but they don't! I'll make these again.

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Spanish Ham Croquettes

Spanish Ham Croquettes are a common sight on bar counters and in homes across Spain, served as a tapa, light lunch, or a dinner along with a salad. The jamon serrano in this recipe could be replaced with chopped hard-boiled eggs, shredded salt cod, minced shrimp, chopped chorizo, cheese, or just about any vegetable. Start the preparation the previous day to allow the bechamel time to set. It will make the mixture easier to handle when shaping the croquetas.

Serves: 6 (it made about 24 croquettes I think?!)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for deep-frying
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated
3 ounces jamon serrano or other dry-cured ham, finely chopped (I used prosciutto)
Salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs (I used WAY more than 2 Tbsp!!)

1) Lightly oil a shallow 8-inch square dish.

2) In a saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and, using a wooden spoon or whisk, mix well. Continue to stir or whisk for about 2 minutes, or until the flour is well blended.

3) Add 1/2 cup of the milk and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the remaining cup of milk. Cook, stirring constantly with the spoon or whisk, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming, for about 10 minutes, or until thickened.

4) Add the jamon serrano, season lightly with salt (remember, the ham is already salty), and stir until evenly distributed. Cook for 1 minute longer and then pour the contents of the pan into the prepared dish. Spread the mixture evenly. Let cool down for a bit and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight to allow the mixture to set.

5) Break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly until blended. Spread the bread crumbs on a dinner plate. With 2 spoons, shape the bechamel-ham mixture into walnut-sized croquettes. Roll each croquette in the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess crumbs, and then dip into the beaten egg. Lift each croquette from the egg and roll it again in the bread crumbs, coating it evenly. Lay the croquettes in a single layer on a platter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before frying.

6) Pour the olive oil to a depth of about 2 inches into a wide, deep, heavy pot and heat over high heat. When the oil is almost smoking, slip 5 or 6 croquettes into the oil, pressing on them gently with a slotted spoon to submerge them, and fry, turning them gently, for about 2 minutes, or until they are golden on all sides. Using the slotted spoon, lift out the croquettes, holding them briefly over the pot to allow the excess oil to drain, and transfer to an ovenproof platter lined with paper towels to drain further. Keep the croquettes warm in a low oven. Fry the rest of the croquettes in the same way, always making sure the oil is very hot before adding more croquettes.

7) When all the croquettes are fried, arrange on a platter and serve immediately.

Original Recipe Source

Roaster Oven Ham

I had never seen a roaster oven before I married my husband. His mom and grandmother both have one and they are ancient. But they ROCK. They use them all the time and I have come to appreciate their usefulness! When you're preparing a big meal (like Christmas dinner!) your ham or turkey or whatever can cook in the roaster oven and not hog up space in the oven. Very handy!

I also happen to live in Florida, so it's nice to be able to not turn the oven on at all. On at least 1 occasion, I've put the roaster oven in the garage in order to keep the kitchen cool! (side note - today is 12/26/08 and it was 80 degrees out! ACK!)

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Roaster Oven Ham

Source: Hamilton Beach Website
Yield: Depends on how big your ham is

This produces a flavorful and moist ham. I've made this more than once and always with success! (works just as well with a regular ham or spiral slice)

15 pound fully cooked smoked ham
2 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup brown sugar, packed

1. Remove rack. Pour 2 cups water into insert pan and preheat roaster oven to 325°F.

2. Trim thick part of fat off of ham down to 1/4-inch. Score remaining layer of fat into diamond design; this will help hold glaze.

3. Place ham on rack and place in roaster. Combine remaining ingredients to make glaze. Bake 1 hour.

4. Remove cover and spoon half of glaze over ham. Replace cover and bake 1 more hour.

5. Remove cover and spoon remaining glaze over ham. Replace cover, increase temperature to 400°F and bake for 10 minutes to set glaze. Internal temperature of ham should be at least 140°F.