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These new croquettes, better called “croquetas de pollo asado y verduras” in spanish, captures that fleeting seasonal transition, where the comforting, marrow-deep warmth of winter meals meets the charred, crunchy and aromatic vibrancy of the coming summer !

Imagine a shell that shatters with a distinct, golden crunch, revealing a center so creamy it nearly escapes the crust. A silky, thickened béchamel infused with the soul of a Sunday roast but these are not the dense, potato-heavy bites often found in casual appetizers. Instead, they are a technical feat of texture, using a "mother béchamel sauce" base to suspend high-quality fats, meat, vegetables and aromatics in a state of velvety suspension.

These croquettes serve as a sensory bridge for spring, acting as a dialogue between two distinct culinary moods. The winter chicken soup with its foundation built on the aromatic "holy trinity" of onion, carrot, celery, with added garlic, gently softened in butter and oil and chicken fat. Combined with a concentrated bone broth, bay leaf, and the subtle warmth of cloves, the interior carries the restorative, nostalgic DNA of a classic chicken soup. And then comes the summer roast and barbecue because the heart of the filling is roasted chicken thighs—skin, fat, and all—seasoned with rosemary, thyme, parsley and black pepper. This provides the deep, savory "umami" profile of a summer rotisserie or a backyard barbecue, offering a weight and richness that soup alone cannot provide.

The secret to the "oozing" consistency is the traditional Spanish method of binding the ingredients with a high-fat roux rather than a starch. It combines the fats to creates a complex, layered richness, while the grated and shredded fillings provide the flavors and the thickened milk and broth ensure a silky, non-starchy interior.

In the spirit of a true "community" dish, these are best prepared with an eye toward future gatherings. The process is a labor of love : preparing the chicken and wasting nothing, sautéing the aromatics, building the "clumpy" roux, and slowly loosening it with milk until it reaches a rubbery, glossy perfection.

Because the mixture requires several hours to firm up before it can be hand-rolled into its final small forms, efficiency is key. This recipe yields approximately 70 pieces, making it the perfect candidate for the freezer. They transition beautifully from ice to room temperature to hot oil, allowing you to serve a sophisticated, "soup-to-barbecue" appetizer at a moment's notice as the seasons shift.

How can you not give this new seasonal transition“tapas” recipe a try ? … :)

roast chicken & vegetable croquettes

18.04.2026

70 pieces x 27 grams each

ingredients

roasted chicken thighs (250 g meat + 50 g skins + 100 g bones + 30 g fats) : 

  • 500g (3 medium) raw whole chicken thighs
  • 7,5ml (½ tbsp) white or apple cider vinegar
  • 15g (3 tsp) fine sea salt
  • 2g (½ tsp) baking powder
  • 1g (¼ tsp) crushed peppercorns

chicken broth (125 ml) :

  • 100g (1 cup) leftover bones (snapped into smaller pieces) & extras
  • 250ml (1 cup) water
  • 5g (1 tsp) sea salt
  • 1g (1 whole) bay leaf
  • 0,25g (2 small whole) cloves
  • 0,25g (4 whole) black peppercorns
  • 2,5ml (½ tsp) apple cider vinegar

bechamel batter & fillings (1500 grams when cooked) :

  • 60g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
  • 60ml (¼ cup) olive oil
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) chicken fat
  • 60g (½ cup) onion, finely diced
  • 30g (¼ cup) carrot, grated
  • 15g (2 tbsp) celery, finely diced
  • 12g (2 ½ tsp) garlic, crushed
  • 7,5g (1 ½ tsp) fine sea salt
  • 2g (½ tsp) black pepper
  • 250g (2 cups) roasted chicken, shredded and chopped 
  • 150g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
  • 1000ml (4 cups) whole milk, room temperature
  • 125ml (½ cup) chicken broth, warm
  • optional : 45g (½ cup) grated mild semi-hard mild cheese (gruyere, emmental, swiss) 
  • 5g (2 tbsp) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2g (½ tsp) rosemary needles, finely chopped
  • 1g (¼ tsp) dried thyme
  • 1g (¼ tsp) dried herbes de provence mix

coating/breading (400 grams) :

  • 165g (¾ cup or 3 large) eggs, beaten (with 1 tbsp water)
  • 75g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour 
  • 150g (2 ¼ cups) breadcrumbs (or coarsely crushed rusks)
  • 25g (2 tbsp) roasted & dried chicken skin, reduced to a powder

frying :

  • 500ml (2 cups) olive oil and/or sunflower oil

instructions

chicken preparations :

  • pat the chicken thighs dry, brush with the vinegar and sprinkle all sides with the salt, ground pepper and baking powder, then place on a rack above a baking dish covered with baking paper (to recuperate the fats and juices later easily) and bake/roast in a 210°C pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes on each side, then remove the baking dish, turn off the oven, peel off the chicken skins and place them back inside the oven on the same baking dish with the baking paper and let them dry out gently until crispier (for 20-30 minutes with the oven door slightly open), then recuperate the fat juices (about 2 tbsp) and reserve separately and the chicken skins and crumble them or put them in a food processor when cooled and pulse the skins into a powder and reserve separately
  • when the chicken thighs are cooler, remove the meat and shred or pull or chop into smaller pieces, collect the remaining bones (break them up) and any extras and place them in a small casserole with the water, vinegar, salt, bay leaf, cloves and peppercorns and bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer for 60-90 minutes, then let cool down and strain and reserve at least ½ cup of broth and set aside
  • *note : with 500g of raw chicken thighs, after roasting you should end up with 250 g meat + 50 g skins + 100 g bones + 30 g fats, to be used to create a broth for the bechamel sauce, the shredded meat for the filling preparation as well as the powdered chicken skins for the coatings …

creamy filling : 

  • heat the butter, olive oil and chicken fat together in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high for 2 minutes, then add the bay leaves, finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for several minutes until it begins to brown lightly, then add the shredded chicken meat and stir-fry for about 2 minutes 
  • mix in the flour and keep stirring until it turns golden brown and don't stop stirring (so the flour does not burn)
  • once the flour has darkened and become thick, slowly pour in the milk and chicken broth, in small increments (¼ cup at a time), while continuously stirring and repeat another 15 times, until all the milk is used up (this will require 10-15 minutes) and the mixture has become thick and creamy
  • switch off the heat, let it cool down a few minutes and add the grated cheese and fresh and dried herbs, mix well and let the mixture cool down to room temperature, adjust to your taste (with more salt and/or pepper) and transfer the batter to a flat dish, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours until firm (like soft rubber)
  • shape the chicken and vegetable croquettes by forming small balls by rolling them in your slightly oiled palms (so they don’t stick) and place each on a baking pan with baking paper and chill again until firmer 
  • *note : I was able to shape 70 small-sized croquettes weighing 22 grams each (1 ½ tbsp) each …

breading/coating :

  • when firmed up again, bread each croquette by coating them all first in flour, then dipping them all in the beaten egg (with some water) and finally rolling in the breadcrumbs and ground chicken skins mixture and place back on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and chill again until ready to fry
  • *note : I find it is easier and much less messy to flour one-third of the batch, one by one and then place them back on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, then dip them all in the beaten egg, one by one again and place them back on a baking sheet and finally cover them all with breadcrumbs and then repeat all 3 steps for the other two batches …
  • *note : you can freeze part or all of them now, well separated on a baking sheet and when completely solid, transfer to air-tight containers or freezer bags (or gently vacuum-seal them) and defrost for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator and then 30 minutes at room-temperature, before frying …

frying : 

  • heat up the olive (and/or vegetable) oil (as deep as the croquettes thickness) in a deep pan or pot
  • fry the croquettes in hot oil (180°C oil temperature) for 2-3 minutes, in small batches, turning them occasionally through so they brown evenly, let them drain on paper towels to remove the extra oil and allow them to cool for several minutes (or keep warm in a 100°C oven for larger batches) and serve with pickled vegetables
  • *note: if you have fried leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheat them in a hot 180°C oven for 8-10 minutes … 

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