Let me introduce you to my latest addition to the Croquette Repertoire: CROQUETES MENORCA
Catalan cuisine/culture has a very strong connection to the Balearic Islands.
I’ve combined two of their most iconic flavours in a great croqueta.
The Two Stars of the Show:
Sobrassada Ibèrica
Think a spreadable-soft, cured sausage made with ground pork and paprika.
It’s a sister of Italy’s ‘Nduja.
I prefer it mild, but can also be spicy.
Formatge de Maó
This white cheese is made from cow’s milk and produced in Maó, on the island of Menorca.
Its distinctive red rind is rubbed with paprika, and that gave me the idea to combine them.
I use semi-cured but you can also find it cured.
How the Round Croquette came along:
I tried to work out a good recipe a while ago and shared my disappointment on social media.
I have since made many adjustments and found the perfect ratio and structure.
First, I got different (better quality) ingredients and results already improved.
(*Check the instagram post, where I linked my suppliers.)
I also changed the structure of it, and have now found a great formula.
Why the round shape?
This croquette has layers: the core is pure Sobrassada and it’s covered in a creamy Maó mix.
This way, both stars of the show get to shine their light.
The size is optimised for the whole of it to get warm enough when fried.
When you bite into it, you first encounter the cheesy filling, and then you notice the core.
Hot sobrassada tastes stronger and can have a fatty feel to it. But in these, you will find a chickpea-size that will give you the hit of flavour while still being balanced by the Maó coat.
I will add some tips for optimal frying of this shape here.
This Recipe first came out for the Sant Joan Sale in 2021.
Menorca celebrates Sant Joan in a traditional, spectacular way (please, google it!). That was my inspiration.
I figured featuring these flavours AND Coca de Sant Joan on the menu would be ideal for a Sant Joan celebration. And if the feedback was good, I could make more in the future.
I hope you like them!!!