A Trip to Spain

All my older friends told me I was going to hit a wall in September after graduation and sink into a deep post-college depression. However, while I get a little nostalgic seeing my sorority sisters’ Facebook updates about the college social scene (including spending Saturdays in the library… and I’m not kidding when I say that), I haven’t exactly been pining for my college days. However, one thing do I miss on a regular basis is the culinary experience I had while studying abroad.

I spent the spring of my junior year studying in Madrid, birthplace of my ancestors, while Mary spent the entirety of our junior year in London getting to know the land of her forefathers. We visited each other, and I am not exaggerating by saying we spent the majority of both weeks eating – cupcakes at Hummingbird Bakery, churros at Valor, and occasionally a non-dessert based meal for nutritional purposes.

Recently, Mary and I were hosting some of our friends over for dinner, and we felt that it was time for an homage to our abroad experience.

We went through my family’s plentiful Spanish cookbooks, and settled on two traditional dishes to serve to our friends: sopa de ajo (garlic soup) and ham and cheese croquetas.

The croquetas were an all day affair. It started with a trip to a wine and finer foods store, since our local grocery store doesn’t have a big selection of obscure Spanish ingredients. After picking up the cheese and ham, and a bottle of Rioja, we spent a good five hours in the kitchen making the meal – it finished just in time for the arrival of our friends on their way home from work.

Ham and Cheese Croquettes:

3 c. whole milk
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. minced onion
2/3 c. flour
salt, pepper and nutmeg
1 1/2 c. (5-6 oz.) Manchego cheese, diced
1/2 c. (2-3 oz.) Serrano ham, chopped
2 t. chopped parsley

Topping:
1 c. flour
2 large eggs beaten with 2 t. water
1 c. bread crumbs

1. In a saucepan, simmer milk and remove from heat.

2. In another saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the flour, and stir, until a think paste forms. Gradually add the milk while stirring constantly, cook about three minutes until a thick béchamel sauce forms (Mary and I were unsure what a béchamel sauce was... in our case, it is a thick, thick sauce that absorbed the milk like a sponge). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

3. Remove from heat and fold in cheese, ham and parsley.

4. Oil an 8 inch square pan, pour in croquette base and refrigerate until cool, about two hours.

5. Set out three bowls, one with the 1 cup of flour for the topping, the next with the beaten egg mixture, and the last with the bread crumbs. With wet hands, use a tablespoon to create a torpedo-shaped croquette with the base. Dip in the flour and coat thoroughly, then dip in the egg, then finally roll in bread crumbs. Repeat until all of the base is used. Refrigerate until cool, or about two hours (or put in the freezer for 10 minutes like we did when we failed to read the recipes completely).

6. Put three inches of canola oil in a saucepan, and fry a few croquettes at a time until golden - about three minutes. Keep fried croquetas in the oven on low until all are fried.

Sopa de Ajo

1 c. Olive Oil
4 c. stale bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t. smoked paprika
salt
8 c. chicken stock
3 egg yolks

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Add the garlic, and cook about three minutes. Add the bread and cook until golden. Add paprika and a pinch of salt, and cook until fragrant, or about three minutes.

2. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in beaten egg yolks, and serve!

After the intensity of the croquettes, the soup is a perfect simple addition to the meal!