Ham Croquettes and Ratatouille Croquettes

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Steps

1. 1
   Dice all the vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, yellow and green bell pepper, tomato) into a fine macedoine of 3–4mm cubes. Giacomo's trick: instead of stacking, stretch the cut strips into a long line along the board to maintain better control and cut faster when working in volume.

   Tip: Stretch cut strips horizontally along the board rather than piling them — this gives you far more control when cutting the final brunoise or macedoine cubes.

   ~15 min
2. 2
   Crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of the knife, then use the spine of the blade (not the edge) to press and work the garlic into a smooth paste on the cutting board.

   Tip: Using the spine (lomo) rather than the edge makes the puréeing action safer and more controlled.

   ~2 min
3. 3
   Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the macedoine vegetables — zucchini, yellow and green peppers, tomato, eggplant, and oyster mushrooms — along with the garlic paste, a few sprigs of thyme, and a bay leaf. Sauté until al dente, season with salt and pepper, toss once more, then spread onto a tray to cool quickly.

   Tip: Do not overcook — the vegetables should remain al dente as they will be incorporated into the hot béchamel and fried later. Spreading on a cold tray accelerates cooling.

   ~8 min
4. 4
   In a saucepan, heat olive oil over low-medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the finely sliced onion and the garlic paste, season with salt, and sweat until the onion is soft, lightly golden, and smells sweet — it should not caramelize.

   Tip: Salt on the onion speeds up sweating by drawing out moisture and concentrating the sugars for gentle sweetness.

   ~5 min
5. 5
   Add the flour to the softened onion and butter. Switch to a balloon whisk and stir constantly over heat to form a sandy, slightly golden roux. This is a heavily thickened roux — it uses more flour than a typical béchamel used for pasta, because the béchamel for croquettes needs to be very stiff.

   Tip: Look for a sandy texture with no raw flour smell — this is the visual cue that the roux is ready for the milk.

   ~3 min
6. 6
   With the roux hot, add cold milk gradually, whisking constantly. The thermal shock between hot roux and cold milk is essential — it causes the butter-coated flour particles to release starch slowly, preventing lumps from forming. Continue whisking and adding milk in stages until you have a very thick, stiff béchamel.

   Tip: Cold milk into hot roux (or cold roux + boiling milk) — never warm-on-warm. The thermal shock is what prevents lumps. If making in advance, you can freeze the thick roux and add hot milk later.

   ~10 min
7. 7
   Once the béchamel is thick and glossy, season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg. Remove from heat. Divide the béchamel equally into two bowls. Add freshly chopped parsley to both portions and stir well.

   Tip: Nutmeg is the classic seasoning for béchamel and white milk-based sauces — it pairs perfectly and adds a subtle perfume.

   ~3 min
8. 8
   Into the first bowl of béchamel, mix in 160g of smoked bondiola ham cut in fine brunoise. Into the second bowl, mix in 80g of the cooled ratatouille sauté — use less ratatouille than ham because the vegetables contain moisture that will loosen the mixture and could cause the croquettes to burst during frying.

   Tip: Adjust the quantity of moist fillings (vegetables) down to preserve the structural integrity of the béchamel mass. Dry fillings like ham can be used in higher proportions.

   ~3 min
9. 9
   Pour each croquette mixture onto a cold tray (pre-chilled in the freezer) in a flat slab shape rather than a mound — a flatter shape cools faster and will be easier to portion with a knife later. Refrigerate or freeze until the mass is very firm and compact.

   Tip: Using a frozen tray for initial setting speeds up the firming process considerably. A flat slab is easier to cut into portions than a dome.

   ~30 min
10. 10
    Once the croquette slabs are very cold and firm, unmold them onto a cutting board and cut into large cubes. Wet your hands or use gloves to shape each cube into the classic croquette oblong/ball shape.

    Tip: Wet or gloved hands prevent the béchamel mass from sticking to your skin while shaping.

    ~10 min
11. 11
    Bread each shaped croquette using the double-breading method: first in breadcrumbs, then in beaten egg, then back in breadcrumbs. This double coating creates a stronger shell that keeps the béchamel intact during frying. Place breaded croquettes back in the refrigerator to firm up and allow the coating to adhere properly.

    Tip: The egg layer is the critical 'glue' — it binds the outer breadcrumbs firmly to the inner crumb layer. Cold croquettes hold their shape far better during frying.

    ~10 min
12. 12
    Heat neutral frying oil to 180°C. Fry the croquettes until golden brown all over — you are not cooking anything raw inside, only heating the béchamel through and crisping the coating. The only thing truly 'raw' is the egg wash, which cooks in the first few seconds of frying. Drain on paper towels.

    Tip: At 180°C the frying is fast — go for color, not time. The interior is already cooked; the goal is a uniformly golden, crispy crust.

    ~5 min
13. 13
    Arrange the fried croquettes on a plate with lemon wedges. A squeeze of lemon cuts through the richness of the fried béchamel, lifts the flavor, and keeps you wanting more.

    Tip: A hit of acidity from lemon is Giacomo's consistent finishing move on fried dishes — it cuts fat, brightens the palate, and adds contrast.

    ~1 min

Nutrition (per serving)

Giacomo Bocchio

TE ENSEÑO A PREPARAR LAS MEJORES CROQUETAS DE JAMÓN Y RATATOUILLE | GIACOMO BOCCHIO

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