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- Simmering the chicken in seasoned milk makes the meat super tender — and gives you a flavorful base for the creamy béchamel sauce, which ties together the filling.
- Whole black and white peppercorns imbue the simmering liquid with an earthy, floral warmth, ramped up by the addition of piment d’Espelette (a typical Basque chile).
- Freezing the croquetas both before and after coating them in crunchy panko helps them keep their shape perfectly when frying.
These crispy croquetas are one of the most popular tapas ordered at Ernesto’s, chef Ryan Bartlow’s Basque restaurant in New York City. Bartlow simmers chicken in milk seasoned with garlic, herbs, and whole peppercorns, then uses the seasoned milk for a rich béchamel spiked with Espelette pepper (a Basque specialty). The saucy, finely chopped chicken is rolled into balls, breaded, and fried until crispy, leaving a creamy, flavorful interior within.
The wide world of tapas
In Spain, croquetas are often served as tapas: small, savory dishes to be shared and enjoyed as part of a snack spread. (Croquetas are also common as pintxos, small bites often served on skewers as drinking snacks in Basque country.) Traditional tapas include all sorts of hot and cold dishes, from oily olives and jamón to fried squid, saucy meatballs, and tortilla española. For a tapas party, pair these croquetas with a variety of Spanish small plates alongside a Spanish vermouth and soda.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
We found it easiest to start with a whole chicken and use half for this recipe, but you can feel free to buy pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken instead.
