Potato And Ham Croquettes
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: August 11, 2008

Croquettes, or in Spanish croquetas, are small, lightly breaded fritters that are deep fried. A common variety in Spain is the potato and ham croquette, or croquetas de patatas y jamon. Fluffy and smooth mashed potatoes mixed with small bits of ham make these a perfect appetizer, side dish, or your own at-home tapa. A delicious comfort food any time of year.
Potato Croquettes with Ham
Recipe adapted from 1080 Recipes
1 cup finely chopped Black Forest ham, prosciutto, or other dry cured ham
3 1/2 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled
2 eggs, separated
1 clove garlic
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Salt
Place potatoes in a large stock pot, fill with cold water, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, then continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain, peel, and mash the potatoes before they cool. Mix the  diced ham with the mashed potatoes and beat in the egg yolk.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet. Add the clove of garlic and cook until slightly browned. Remove from oil and, in a mortar or on a cutting board, mash with a pinch of salt to create a paste. Add the garlic paste to the potato mixture.
Whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a bowl until they form soft peaks. Fold into the potato mixture.
With damp hands, shape the mixture into croquettes (cylinders or small patties). Heat the remaining oil in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan to 350-375 degrees. Add the croquettes in batches of about 6 and cook until golden brown.
Drain well and serve immediately. Delicious with garlic mayonnaise!

Comments:
redman
August 11, 2008

does fritter apply to a croquette or just to raw batter dropped into fryer?
Barnaby Dorfman

I tend to think of a fritter as something coated with some batter or binding agent and then deep fried. So not just batter, but batter with something inside. Here's the Wikipedia take on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritter
Leslie

We have Croquettes everywhere here in Tampa! They are super addicitive!
Deborah

Yum!  It's not even lunch time and I want some of these!
dencio45

What... no  breadcrumbs? In the photo it looks like they've been breaded.