Learn How to Make Croquetas in a

Few Simple Steps!

Everyone loves croquetas, and little wonder: this Spanish snack combines a crunchy, deep-
fried shell with a rich, creamy interior. They are a staple food in every Spanish birthday,
celebration or social gathering, mostly because they can easily feed a larger crowd. In the
classic recipe, croquetas come with a cured ham filling, but other popular variations
substitute it for shredded cooked chicken, tuna, or any meaty leftovers of the soup from the
day before. However, one thing is certain: you must use serrano ham, rather than any other.
Using original Spanish ingredients is an absolute must!

Many restaurants offer croquetas in their menu, but they can be precooked, that is, frozen,
thawed and deep-fried. Every Spaniard knows that homemade croquetas are infinitely
superior than the mediocre frozen ones. It’s worth taking the time to make them from
scratch! Don’t worry if you can’t cook, this recipe can help even absolute beginners! You can
find ingredients like flour, ham, oil, milk, eggs and breadcrumbs in most supermarkets, and
you will also need salt, pepper and nutmeg.

First, cut the ham into small pieces and put it in

the oil. Remember, the oil must be hot before you
add the ham. Then, turn down the heat
and stir in the flour little by little. After a few
minutes, add the milk and mix in the ingredients.
Be careful! The heat mustn’t be high, it must be low
so you don’t burn it. When the sauce has the
same consistency as potato puree, your bechamel
is ready. Now you can taste the mixture and season
with salt and pepper to taste. Remove it from the
pan and pour into a bowl.

For the next step, the bechamel must cool down for a few hours. In a separate bowl, mix in
eggs with breadcrumbs. Take spoonfuls of the bechamel, roll them into cylinders ––this is the
typical croqueta shape–– and coat them with the egg and breadcrumb mix. Now gently drop
each of the croquetas in the pan and fry until golden brown. Now your croquetas are ready
to eat! With this recipe, you probably can’t resist the temptation and eat them all.

Adapted from: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/sep/20/how-to-make-croquetas-recipe-felicity-cloake-

masterclass
1 READING COMPREHENSION

Create a bullet list with all of the steps from the recipe and copy it in your
notebook. Use the verbs below:

MIX STIR ADD POUR CUT

HEAT UP COOL DOWN TASTE FRY

1. Cut the ham

2. Heat up the pan
3. ...

2 FOCUS ON LANGUAGE: CAN/CAN’T + MUST/MUSTN’T

CAN / CAN’T are used to express ABILITY, POSSIBILITY and PERMISSION

MUST / MUSTN’T are used to express an OBLIGATION or a PROHIBITION.

Go over the text again. Highlight every sentence that uses can/can’t or
must/mustn’t. In your notebook, copy the chart below and classify each
sentence according to its USE.

ABILITY POSSIBILITY PERMISSION OBLIGATION PROHIBITION

YOU CAN
YOU MUST LISTEN TO DO IT!
THE TEACHER.