Spanish Leek Croquettes (Croquetas de Puerro) Tapas Menu

These Spanish leek croquettes are perfect for a tapas menu. They’re easier to make than you would imagine and you won’t believe how incredibly delicious they are!

This past February I took my parents to Australia.

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FOR THE TAPAS RECIPE SCROLL DOWN.

If you knew my parents, you’d give me a prize for this feat of convincing them to go because both of them were so incredibly steadfast on the fact that they’d never, ever go to Australia. They protested that it was too far, just too long of a flight, and they simply didn’t want to go–they gave me every excuse under the sun.

So what convinced them to go? I told them, “You only live once”, and if my mum really wanted to see her first cousins, this would probably be her only opportunity. She changed her mind pretty quickly and was on board before Dad.

I had to give him the silent treatment for a couple of days, because he had no good excuse for why he didn’t want to go. (I told him the long flight didn’t cut it.)

However, it was the leek croquettes that floored all three of us–in a good way.

They honestly didn’t look like something that are “knock your socks off” delicious, but guess what? They were! All three of us tasted one at the same time and we just looked at each other after the first bite. They were incredibly delicious! The crispy exterior gave way to a soft and creamy filling that had the most subtle leek flavor. 

Another tapas recipe to try: patatas bravas!

Of course I had to ask if the owners would be kind enough to give me the leek croquette recipe and I promised to give credit when I shared it. I was so lucky! Not only did Crista agree to share the recipe, but her son, Chef Julian had already made a YouTube video (which is no longer online) making the croquettes–I was over the moon, especially since I really love leeks.

NOTE: prepare the mixture the day before you want to serve the leek croquettes, as one step requires overnight chilling.

I had never tried such a croquette in Barcelona, but Tapas Tapas Bodega’s cuisine is from the Catalonia Basque region of Spain. 

TAPAS TAPAS BODEGA (update: sadly, the restaurant closed post-Covid) 😭

While the leeks are cooking, put the milk in a pot and add the onion. Heat to 175˚F (80˚C).

In a medium sized pot, melt the butter, then add the flour.

Stir briskly, and cook the flour and butter to avoid the raw flour taste. Begin adding some of the hot milk (remove the onion first). Continue adding milk and stirring quickly until all the milk has been added. 

Add salt and nutmeg and continue cooking and stirring until the béchamel thickens (watch the video to see the consistency). Next, add the sautéed leeks.

Cook over low heat, stirring until the béchamel stays when pulled away from the side of the pot (see the video for a visual).

Pour into a container, cover with parchment paper, then refrigerate overnight.

The next day, shape the mixture into round balls about 50 g (1.75 oz) each.

They’re quite easy to handle. 

Dip each croquette in beaten egg with some milk.

Then immediately roll in breadcrumbs, and store in container until ready to fry. 

(We froze some like this and they were great to use later; just defrost in the fridge then fry.)

When ready to fry the leek croquettes, heat some oil (I used sunflower with a little olive oil) to 320˚F (160˚C). Fry the croquettes until golden brown and heated all the way through.

Remove from oil and drain well.

Place on paper towel lined plate or tray.

Serve hot with a little mayonnaise, if desired.

They’re absolutely delicious!

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Spanish Leek Croquettes (Croquetas de Puerro)

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 10 hours 45 minutes

A super tasty, crispy ball of leek infused bechamel! How can you go wrong?

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Ingredients

• 1 small onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large leek, (about 5 cups (8 to 10 oz) once finely chopped
• 750 ml whole milk
• 2 oz good quality butter
• 3 oz flour
• 1.5 tsp sea salt
• few shakes of ground nutmeg
• 1 egg with a little milk (for egg wash)
• breadcrumbs
• oil for frying the croquettes

Instructions

1. Begin by attaching two bay leaves to a small onion with four cloves. 
2. Finely chop the leek(s) if you haven't yet done so, then sauté them in about 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat (do not brown).
3. While the leeks are cooking, put the milk in a pot and add the onion. Heat to 175˚F (80˚C).
4. In a medium sized pot, melt the butter, then add the flour.
5. Stir briskly, and cook the flour and butter to avoid the raw flour taste. Begin adding some of the hot milk (remove the onion first). Continue adding milk and stirring quickly until all the milk has been added.
6. Add salt and nutmeg and continue cooking and stirring until the béchamel thickens (watch the video to see the consistency). Next, add the sautéed leeks.
7. Cook over low heat, stirring until the béchamel stays when pulled away from the side of the pot (see the video for a visual).
8. Place into a container, cover with parchment paper, then refrigerate overnight.
9. The next day, shape the mixture into round balls about 50 g (1.75 oz) each.
10.  Dip each croquette in beaten egg with some milk. Then immediately roll in breadcrumbs, and store in container until ready to fry. (We froze some like this and they were great to use later; just defrost in the fridge then fry.)
11. When ready to fry the leek croquettes, heat some oil (I used sunflower with a little olive oil) to 320˚F (160˚C). Fry the croquettes until golden brown and heated all the way through.Remove from oil and drain well. Place on paper towel lined plate or tray.
12.  Serve hot with a little mayonnaise, if desired.

Notes

These freeze nicely, and if you have an air fryer, they will end up being fresh and crispy after re-heating them!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 2
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 622mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 19gProtein: 7g

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