Our grandmothers knew very well how to recycle all those food scraps that were left over from our daily meals, turning those scraps into delicious dishes again. Croquettes are one of those forms of use, giving a result that is also spectacular. This time, we are going to make the croquettes with the remains of a roast chicken, but it could well be served cooked, fried, steamed…
If you are not good at making homemade croquettes, don’t worry, follow all the steps and you will see how it is not that difficult, although it is a bit laborious. The ideal is to do many at the same time, since the work is the same and we can take the opportunity to freeze them. You will not need to defrost them later and I assure you that they will be like freshly made. At this article, we tell you all the secrets to discover how to make chicken and egg croquettes. The result is simply perfect.
Ingredients to make Chicken and hard-boiled egg croquettes:
• 2 eggs
• 300 grams of roast chicken
• 75 grams of flour
• 800 milliliters of cold milk
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• For the batter
• 75 grams of flour
• 3 eggs
• 300 grams of breadcrumbs
How to make Chicken Croquettes and Hard Boiled Egg:
We put the two eggs to cook on the fire covered with water for 10 minutes from the moment of their boiling. Let cool by refreshing with cold water once cooked.
Using scissors, chop the remains of the roasted chicken and peel and chop the boiled eggs as well.
Now, we are going to prepare the béchamel for the chicken and egg croquettes. To do this, put the three tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and, when it is hot, add the flour little by little while stirring with a few rods so that it does not make lumps. Let the flour cook for a few minutes.
Tip: Preferably use silicone rods, so you won’t scratch the pan.
We are adding the milk little by little and while we are moving with the rods so that there are no lumps. It is better to thicken from the start and add the milk little by little, let it thicken and add more milk again. Thus, until all the milk is used up.
Tip: You can use skimmed milk.
Add a little salt and grate a little nutmeg; taste and add more salt and nutmeg if necessary.
Trick: Have you got lumps in the béchamel? Do not be discouraged, put the béchamel in a blender glass, blend and put the cream back on the heat, and stir with a whisk until it thickens and you will have it ready, fine and without lumps. Once the béchamel thickens, add the remains of roast chicken. We integrate well with a spatula and let cook a couple of minutes, stirring without stopping. Turn off the heat, add the chopped eggs and stir until they are well integrated into the béchamel and the chicken.
Transfer the mixture to another bowl, cover with a transparent plastic wrap making sure that the paper touches the dough of the chicken and egg croquettes. Let cool and move the bowl to the fridge to cool well; in one or two hours the filling will be ready (you can also leave it overnight).
Once the dough has compacted, we take it out of the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Then, we take small portions, either with our hands or with two spoons, and shape them into croquettes. This is the best time to freeze the croquettes if you are not going to eat them all. I usually wrap them individually in plastic wrap, I keep them in a bag and in the freezer.
Although there are many people who freeze them already with the breading, it is preferable not to do so and freeze them like that. The batter is much crispier if it is put on at the moment. If you freeze with it, they won’t be crispy and the batter will have softened. We put abundant oil to fry the chicken and egg croquettes. Meanwhile, we take the opportunity to pass the homemade croquettes through a little flour.
Tip: If you have previously frozen them, you will not need to defrost them. You can do the same process for your batter.
Beat the eggs lightly and pass the floured croquettes through them. And finally, for breadcrumbs. Then, we fry the homemade chicken croquettes, trying not to put too many at once so that they are golden and crispy. Remove them and place them on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. We serve the chicken and hard-boiled egg croquettes right away.
You just have to follow the steps so that you have some crispy chicken croquettes on the outside and creamy on the inside.
