Rookie Pan
← All recipes
Spain, Europe · Ham Croquetas (Croquetas de jamón)

Croqueta Skillet Dip

No frying, no chilling: ham béchamel baked in a skillet under melted cheese and garlicky crumbs, scooped up with crisp baguette.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time30 min
DifficultyEasy
About servingsThe pan and dish get extremely hot: always use oven gloves and put a trivet on the table.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C (oven) for . In a small bowl, rub together the breadcrumbs, half the olive oil, the finely grated garlic and the parsley to make the topping.

    Add in this stepPanko or coarse breadcrumbs 25 gExtra-virgin olive oil ¾ tbspGarlic cloves 1Flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 tbsp

    oven

  2. Melt the butter in a 18 cm ovenproof cast-iron skillet (or pan) over medium-low heat and cook the onion for until translucent.

    Add in this stepButter 25 gOnion, finely chopped 30 g

    medium-low heat

  3. Add the jamón and stir for 30 seconds, then add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for , stirring, to cook out the raw taste.

    Add in this stepJamón serrano, chopped 50 gPlain flour 25 g

    medium-low heat

  4. Whisk in the warm milk a little at a time, then raise the heat to medium heat and cook for , stirring constantly, until it coats a spoon like thick yogurt. It should be looser than croqueta mix so it stays scoopable as it cools. Add the nutmeg, taste and season lightly with salt, then turn off the heat and stir in half the mozzarella until melted.

    Add in this stepMilk, warmed 300 mlGround nutmeg 1 pinchSalt to tasteShredded mozzarella 25 g

    medium heat

  5. If your pan isn't ovenproof, transfer to a 16 cm baking dish. Scatter over the rest of the mozzarella and cover with the garlic crumbs.

    Add in this stepShredded mozzarella 25 g

  6. Bake on the middle shelf for , until bubbling at the edges and deep golden on top. Meanwhile, slice the baguette diagonally 1 cm thick, brush with the remaining olive oil and toast on the top shelf for the last 5–6 minutes. Set the very hot pan on a trivet and dig in with the bread.

    Add in this stepBaguette ½Extra-virgin olive oil ¾ tbsp

Cook's tip

Sautéed mushrooms or wilted spinach stirred into the béchamel work well. Leftover dip firms up when cold: chill it, then shape and fry it like croquetas, or spread it on toast and grill. For guests, make it up to step 4 ahead and just bake when needed.

Cooking it at camp

At camp, make the béchamel the same way in a cast-iron skillet on a stove or over the fire, add the cheese and crumbs, cover and leave on low heat until the cheese melts. The top won't crisp, so toast the crumbs separately in a pan and sprinkle them on at the end.