Croquetas Castellanas de Setas y Boletus

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide frying pan
• •Wooden spoon
• •Shallow dish for chilling the masa
• •Kitchen scale
• •Thermometer for frying oil
• •Heavy pan for frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the mushrooms

   If using dried porcini instead of fresh boletus, soak them in 250ml warm water for 20 minutes, then lift them out, squeeze dry, and chop finely. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve and keep 100ml of it. Chop all fresh mushrooms finely, but don't turn them to paste; you want small pieces that still taste of mushroom.

2. 2

   Cook them dry

   Set a wide frying pan over medium-high heat and add the chopped mushrooms with a pinch of salt, no fat yet. Cook, stirring often, until they release their water, the liquid evaporates, and the pan looks almost dry, 8 to 12 minutes. This is the step that decides the croqueta: wet mushrooms make a loose masa, and a loose masa breaks in the fryer.

   When the mushrooms stop steaming off liquid and start to smell nutty and browned at the edges, they are ready for the fat.
3. 3

   Build the base

   Add the olive oil, butter, onion, and garlic to the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook 8 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft and sweet but not browned hard. Add the sherry or white wine and let it cook away completely. The pan should smell deep and clean, not sharp with alcohol.

4. 4

   Cook the flour

   Sprinkle in the 90g flour and stir until every bit of mushroom is coated. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time, until the flour smells toasted and no raw white patches remain. Don't rush this. Raw flour gives a pasty croqueta, and no amount of frying fixes it.

5. 5

   Make the masa

   Pour in the warm milk a little at first, stirring hard until smooth, then add the rest in steady splashes. If you used dried porcini, replace 100ml of the milk with 100ml of the strained soaking liquid. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the masa is thick, glossy, and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg, 8g salt, and black pepper, then taste. It should be well seasoned now, because the breading will soften the salt.

6. 6

   Chill until firm

   Scrape the masa into a shallow dish and press cling film or baking paper directly onto the surface so it doesn't form a skin. Cool, then refrigerate at least 4 hours, and overnight is better. A warm or soft masa is trouble. A cold firm one shapes politely, and there is no prize for fighting it.

7. 7

   Shape and bread

   Set out three dishes: 120g flour, the beaten eggs, and the breadcrumbs. Scoop the cold masa into 30g portions and shape each one into a short cylinder or oval with lightly floured hands. Roll in flour, dip in egg, then coat in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs cling without crushing the croqueta.

8. 8

   Fry in batches

   Heat 5 to 6cm oil in a heavy pan to 180C. Fry the croquetas in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until evenly golden and crisp. Don't crowd the pan or the oil cools and the crust drinks grease. Lift to a rack or paper-lined tray and let them sit 2 minutes before serving; the center is very hot and creamy.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh boletus are a gift, not an everyday guarantee. If you can't find them, use 25g dried porcini with 350g cultivated mushrooms. The dried mushrooms give depth, but cook the fresh ones dry first or the masa will still go slack.
• •Use whole milk. Croquetas are not the place for thin milk, because the bechamel needs body before it ever sees the fridge. If the masa does not pull away from the pan, keep cooking.
• •Fine dry breadcrumbs give the classic thin crust. Panko makes a rougher, harder shell, which is not the same bite. Save it for another day.
• •Salt the masa a little more than seems polite. Once it is chilled, breaded, and fried, the seasoning softens. A timid masa makes a bland croqueta.
• •Serve them soon after frying, with a dry fino, manzanilla, or a simple young red from Castilla y Leon. They need a drink with backbone, not sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •The masa can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• •The shaped and breaded croquetas can be refrigerated for 24 hours before frying.
• •To freeze, set breaded croquetas on a tray until solid, then bag them. Fry from frozen at 175C, adding 1 to 2 minutes, and keep the batches small.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 60g)