Every January 16th we celebrate World Croquette Day. A creamy and juicy snack, so tender on the inside but so crispy on the outside. A spectacular contrast that, if we combine it with the multitude of fillings that this appetizer admits, makes anyone’s mouth water. And of course, such a popular, loved and appreciated food could not be without its own day in the calendar, so, will you join us to celebrate it?
But in addition, the day of the croquette was not a casual date, chosen at random. It coincides with the birthday of this food. According to its history, the croquette was invented on January 16, in the year 1817. And it is that, with more than 200 years, the croquette continues to delight many.
What are croquettes?
Although no doubt you all know them well, let’s see what this appetizer is all about. Croquettes are a great recipe for making the most of the food. They are useful to take advantage of the leftovers of almost any meal. It consists of a creamy and juicy bechamel sauce, which can be accompanied with all kinds of meat, fish, seafood, cheese, vegetables (finely chopped) … And then coated in egg and breadcrumbs. This combination is fried until it is crispy and golden on the outside. The result is a crunchy bite, but when we bite into it, we find a delicious explosion of béchamel. Incredible, isn’t it?
But, these are the croquettes that are made in Spain and France. Well, did you know that in other places they are usually made with mashed potatoes instead of béchamel?
World Croquette day
As we have already mentioned, this date was not a coincidence. According to its most popular history, the croquette was born on January 16. Later we will see the history of this delicious recipe.
And, the idea of celebrating this day came from the hand of a communication agency that developed an important campaign for a restaurant in Madrid specialized in croquettes.
This marketing campaign immediately went viral. Croquettes are one of the most loved dishes in our gastronomy. Since then, this day has been internationalized, giving croquettes greater fame and popularity.
So, if you also want to celebrate Croqueta Day, prepare your favorite croquettes and share them with the hashtag #CroquetteDay.
Don’t miss out: Oxtail croquettes
History and Origin of the Croquette
Although it is an iconic dish of the gastronomy of Spain, b. Let’s take a look at the history of the Croquette to celebrate its day.
The first written recipe for croquettes is found in the year 1691, in the book ‘Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois’, where reference is made to ‘croquet’, which in French means to crunch, a masculine term used by the cook of Philippe d’Orléans, François Massaiot.
However, it was not until 1817 when this term became fashionable and began to gain fame and popularity. And it was the chef Antonin Carréne, to whom many attribute the invention of the croquette. Carréne, a chef at the court of Louis XIV, was preparing a large banquette for the Prince of England, the future George IV, and for the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia, who would become the next Czar Nicholas I. He came up with the idea of making a creamy croquette that would be served at the court of Louis XIV.
It occurred to him to prepare a creamy béchamel sauce, which he would later fry in batter to give it a very crunchy touch. He called it ‘croquettes à la royale’.
Later, around 1830, croquettes arrived in Spain. Where they would become an iconic dish of this gastronomy. Here they were used to take advantage of the leftover meat from stews and casseroles. Becoming a spectacular and practical recipe of use.
Tips to make perfect croquettes
If you dare to celebrate Croquette Day with any of the recipes we have proposed, you will want them to be spectacular.
Therefore, we are going to tell you some tricks so that your croquettes are always perfect:
- The béchamel sauce, the key to croquettes. What makes the difference in croquettes is the béchamel sauce. Biting into a crunchy croquette that is juicy and almost liquid inside is a real delicacy. Therefore, we have to make the béchamel sauce so that, when frying the croquettes, it is very juicy. You can use butter to toast the flour, it will also give a more unctuous touch to our bechamel.
- The Dough. Once we have prepared the bechamel sauce, and we have incorporated the selected ingredients, the dough has to rest for at least a few hours. Although, if you want perfect croquettes, follow the way our grandmothers used to prepare them and let the dough rest from one day to the next.
- How to shape the croquettes. Croquettes have a characteristic shape, elongated but with oval ends. But, nowadays, we can find square croquettes, round croquettes…
But if you want to give it the classic shape, the best way to do it is with two spoons. Passing the dough from one spoon to the other, we will make the dough acquire that characteristic shape.
Once we have the base, we finish off the edges when we dip it in the breadcrumbs. - Fry the croquettes with a good amount of oil. It is also very important to add the croquettes when the oil is very hot. You don’t want them to open or break during frying. Once ready, set them aside on a plate with absorbent paper, to remove the excess oil.
Would you like to try making your own croquettes with these tips?
If you follow these steps, you will have crispy croquettes, very tender, and with a professional result. They will be the best croquettes with which to celebrate World Croquette Day!
And you, do you want to celebrate World Croquette Day? Which recipe is your favorite? Remember that you can leave us your comments, ideas, tips, opinions… We love to read you! And don’t forget to follow us on social networks to keep up to date with all our publications. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
