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Healthier croquetas

Name: Healthier croquetas
Yield: Makes 35 croquetas
Cuisine: Spanish recipes
Ingredients: 500g baby leaf spinach; 50ml olive oil; 75g plain flour, plus extra for coating; 300ml skimmed milk, hot; 125g full-flavoured soft goat’s cheese, chopped; Good grating fresh nutmeg; Finely grated zest ½ lemon; Small bunch fresh chives, finely snipped; 125g dried white breadcrumbs; 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten; Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Published: 31 Jul 14
Updated: 18 Mar 24

We’ve all but banished the saturated fat from these crunchy Spanish spinach and goat’s cheese croquetas but still packed in the flavour.

Easy
August 2014

Test kitchen approved

Makes 35 croquetas
Hands-on time 45 min, plus chilling and freezing.

We’ve all but banished the saturated fat from these crunchy Spanish spinach and goat’s cheese croquetas but still packed in the flavour.

Vegetarian recipes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 58kcals
Fat: 3.5g (1g saturated)
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 4.8g (0.7g sugars)
Fibre: 0.6g
Salt: 1.8g

Per croqueta

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Ingredients

500g baby leaf spinach
50ml olive oil
75g plain flour, plus extra for coating
300ml skimmed milk, hot
125g full-flavoured soft goat’s cheese, chopped
Good grating fresh nutmeg
Finely grated zest ½ lemon
Small bunch fresh chives, finely snipped
125g dried white breadcrumbs
2 medium free-range eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

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Method

Put the spinach in a colander in the sink, then pour over a kettle of boiling water. Drain, then run under cold water. Drain again, then squeeze out as much water as you can. Finely chop, then set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pan, then stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the hot milk, stirring, to make a thick sauce. Bubble for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and mix in the cheese, spinach, nutmeg, lemon zest and chives. Season well, then cool. Chill, covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
With wet hands, shape spoonfuls of the mixture into 2-3cm balls. Put on a baking sheet or plate lined with baking paper, then freeze for 1 hour.

Put the flour for coating and the breadcrumbs in 2 bowls and the eggs in a third. Roll each ball in flour, then in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs (see tip).
Preheat the oven to 110°C/fan90°C/gas ¼, pour the oil into a heavy-based saucepan or wok to no more than one-third full and heat until it reaches 180°C on a digital thermometer. Cook the croquetas, in batches, for 2 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batches. Serve warm.