Homemade Spanish Style Crab Croquettes – Fuel Up for a Run Through Pamplona!

Tapas from Spain is one of my all time favorites and the Iberian nation is a hotbed for all things tasty! Without a doubt, I can’t have a tapas dinner without ordering some kind of croquettes that feature jamón Serrano, or chorizo, or chicken or beef or fish, etc… It doesn’t really matter because usually whatever is added in the filling is a mouth full of deliciousness! Today I’m sharing my recipe for Spanish Style Crab Croquettes, filled with fresh crab meat, chorizo, Manchego cheese, and fresh parsley that accentuate some of Spain’s most classic ingredients. It will inspire you to sing Red Ships of Spain or visit Pamplona and go running with the bulls! Then again, maybe hold off on that idea and stick to the singing.

What I love about Spanish crab croquettes, or croquettes in general, is that they’re fantastic for appetizers or even a whole meal if you make them as large as I do! My father-in-law was gracious enough to offer fresh crab meat that he brought home from the ocean waters of New Brunswick, so I knew what I had to do – like Spain world-class midfielder Xavi Hernandez’s exquisite footwork, I had to perform a clinical croquette recipe (or something like that…). One ingredient however I discovered hard to find was Spanish breadcrumbs as there aren’t many specialty stores featuring Spain ingredients close by to where I live so I made a bit of a bread crumb concoction. I mixed Italian and Japanese panko breadcrumbs with Goya Adobo seasoning and together, it gave a crispy and crunchy flavor to this enjoyable recipe.

To begin my Spanish crab croquettes, I start by sautéing the crab meat in a pan with garlic, chopped chorizo and a lot of fresh parsley in Spanish olive oil. Next step is preparing a béchamel sauce with butter, olive oil, flour and milk to create a creamy texture. Start by creating a paste with olive oil and butter melted at low heat, followed by flour and heated milk whisked together. Once the béchamel is ready, I chop Manchego cheese and add all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, stirring well and then placing in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Now that the filling is chilled, I place my breadcrumb mixture on a large plate and beat an egg in a bowl for dipping. Take your crab croquettes filling and make an oval shape with your hands, then dip in the egg and roll onto the breadcrumbs. That’s all you need to do and keep repeating until all of the filling has vanished. Now I know the traditional way then is to fry or deep fry the crab croquettes and I did just that for 4 of them because my wife and I were very hungry and couldn’t wait to taste! However, for healthy eating best practices, I baked the rest in the oven at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes a side and they came out delightful, not to mention not overly saturated in oil. As a beverage you can’t go wrong with a great glass of Spanish sangria (or jug) but Spain has excellent wines and beers, including the Conde de Valdemar Rioja or the Estrella Damm Beer from Barcelona, or the Mahou-San Miguel from Madrid. All will go excellently with your fresh crab croquettes! You’ll be feeling good and ready after a few of these to take on anything, maybe even a run with the bulls? Just be sure to carry a few extra croquettes in case the bulls get a little too close so you don’t get the horns! Spanish Crab Croquettes recipe from Paggi Pazzo, Viva España!

Spanish Style Crab Croquettes Recipe

Prep time: 45 min

Cook time: 20 min

Total time: 1 hour 5 min

Yield: 16 large croquettes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh crab meat
• 4 ounces Spanish chorizo
• 4 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
• 3 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3-4 ounces Spanish Manchego cheese
• 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons Goya adobo seasoning
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2/3 cup fresh parsley
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 egg

Cooking Directions

1. To create filling chop crab meat, chopped chorizo, fresh parsley, chopped garlic, and add to a pan with olive oil and saute for 2-3 minutes at low heat stirring ingredients
2. In another pan, add butter and olive oil at low heat. Once butter melts, add flour and whisk then add milk and continue to stir until soft and slightly thick for croquette filling
3. Chop Manchego cheese into small chunks and then combine with flour/milk mixture and crab meat/chorizo, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to cool
4. In a bowl, add Italian bread crumbs, Panko bread crumbs, and Goya Adobo seasoning and mix
5. Crack egg into a bowl and beat, then add breadcrumb mixture to a large plate. Take crab croquette filling and create small oval shapes then dip into egg and roll into breadcrumb mix, then place on baking sheet (repeat until all filling is used)
6. Set oven at 425 degrees and cook crab croquettes for 20 minutes until golden brown
7. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving and shout Viva España!!!