Croquetas de Cangrejo

Crab Croquettes

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My Thoughts

Want something super crunchy that is warm and creamy on the inside? Croquetas de congrejo, or crab croquettes, are the way to go. These are also a fantastic way to stretch a small amount of an expensive ingredient. I mean, crab ain't cheap people!

The How To Do It

  1. Start by putting everything in place. Yah know, mise en place ya'll. No seriously, this will work a lot easier if you get the breadcrumbs in their bowl, and the egg ready to go before you start cooking. So, in one bowl, add the beaten eggs, in another bowl add the cup of flower, breadcrumbs, and corn starch. I use self-rising flour. If you're using all-purpose flour, you'll want to add about a teaspoon of baking powder.
  2. Okay, now that that is done, start with the bechamel. This will act as a binder. It's food paste. In all honestly, it's really more of food concrete. So, in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter.
  3. Once the foam cooks off, add the diced onions and peppers and cook for 5-7 minutes or until they start to soften. Add the flour and stir/whisk until it forms a paste. Keep stirring/whisking for a few more minutes to cook the flour (nothing worse than that raw flour taste).
  4. Slowly add the milk until it forms a thick sauce. You want to add it in a slow and steady stream to keep lumps from forming. Once you have a thick sauce, set it aside and let it cool for at least 20 minutes. Longer if you have the time. You're going to need to be able to touch this the next time you do anything with it.
  5. While the bechamel is cooling, mix the crab and lime juice together in a medium size bowl. Make sure to pick through the crab and remove any shells. I use canned crab (that whole not living near a coast thing again) and it's usually pretty clean, but just in case make sure. you really don't want to each shell.
  6. When the bechamel is cool enough to handle (and if it's too hot for you to touch, just wait a bit longer.), add several spoonfuls to the crab and mix until it just holds together. If you need more bechamel, then add it in. You just don't want it to get too loose or it will explode in the oil. Form the crab and bechamel mixture into small footballs (American that is) about an inch thick.
  7. Once I have formed the croquetas, I place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to give them a little more structure. This helps them to not fall apart when frying. It basically allows the crust to form before the filling can ooze out.
  8. About 5 minutes before you're ready to fry the croquetas, start heating a Dutch oven with the oil. You'll want to heat it to 375° F (the magic temperature for frying). You're going to want it to be 4-5 inches deep. I have no idea how many cups that actually is. I just poor until it looks deep enough.
  9. Once the oil is up to temperature, fry the croquetas. You may have to go in batches (that's okay, the first ones will still be hot). Fry them for 4-5 minutes, until they turn golden brown on the outside.

Ingredients

Croquetas de Cangrejo
½ cup
unsalted butter
1 ½ cups
self-rising flour
¼ cup
red bell pepper
½ cup
red onion
1 cup
whole milk
½ lbs
lump crab
1 ½ tbsp
lime juice
2 lrgs
eggs
½ cup
panko bread crumbs
2 tsp
corn starch
8 cups
peanut oil
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