Chicken Croquetas with Creamy Béchamel
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
Crisp, golden croquetas with a soft, creamy centre of béchamel and finely shredded poached chicken, fried in panko and served hot with lemon.
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Method
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Equipment
- small saucepan
- instant-read thermometer
- medium heavy saucepan
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- 20 cm shallow dish
- cling film
- 3 shallow bowls
- baking tray
- baking paper
- large heavy pot or deep fryer
- slotted spoon
- paper towels
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 313 kcal |
| Protein | 12.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 21.6 g |
| of which sugars | 4.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 19.3 g |
| of which saturates | 6 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
| Salt | 0.84 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 8 servings
Chicken
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast about 250 g
- 1 bay leaf
Béchamel
- 500 ml whole milk
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, very finely chopped about 100 g
- 80 g plain flour
- 4.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¾ tsp
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Coating
- 70 g plain flour, for coating
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 100 g panko breadcrumbs
For frying
- 1 l neutral frying oil (sunflower, rapeseed or vegetable) for 4-5 cm depth
To serve
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
- 1
Poach. Put the chicken and bay leaf in a small pan, cover with cold water by 2 cm, bring to a bare simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the thickest part reads 74 °C. Lift out and cool for 10 minutes; gentle heat keeps the breast moist.
- 2
Shred. Pull the chicken into very fine shreds with your fingers, then chop briefly so no piece is longer than 1 cm. Large pieces make the croquetas hard to roll and prone to splitting.
- 3
Warm. Heat the milk in the rinsed pan until steaming, then keep it hot off the heat. Hot milk blends into the roux without lumps.
- 4
Soften. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, add the onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until very soft and pale.
- 5
Roux. Add the chicken and the flour and stir for 2 minutes, until the flour coats everything and smells toasty, not raw.
- 6
Thicken. Whisk in the hot milk a ladle at a time, letting it thicken between additions, then cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring with a spoon, until it is a thick paste that pulls away from the pan. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. It should be much stiffer than a sauce.
- 7
Set. Spread the mixture in a shallow dish, press cling film onto the surface and chill for at least 6 hours, until firm. Overnight is even better: a fully cold base is far easier to shape.
- 8
Shape. With damp hands, roll heaped tablespoons (about 30 g) into 5 cm logs, to make about 24.
- 9
Coat. Roll each log in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing the crumbs on, and set them on a lined tray. Chill for 30 minutes so the coating sets and stays on in the oil.
- 10
Fry. Heat the oil to 180 °C. Fry 5-6 at a time for 2-3 minutes, turning, until deep golden and the centre reads 74 °C. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with lemon.
Storage
Fried croquetas are best eaten straight away. Coated, unfried croquetas freeze for 2 months on a tray, then in a bag. Fried leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge; reheat at 200 °C for 8-10 minutes, until piping hot (74 °C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
