Surely on more than one occasion you've gone to eat at a restaurant, ordered a portion of homemade croquetas, and the question has arisen: are the croquetas you're eating really homemade?
On many occasions, if you don't have a trained palate, you might result difficult To know if a croquette is homemade or not, and if they are pulling the wool over your eyes. At Casino Alcalá, we're going to give you the keys to tell if the croquette you're eating is truly a homemade croquette cooked with care, or if, despite being sold as such, it's an industrial croquette.
Distinguishing between a homemade croquette and an industrial one
Although there are very good industrial croquettes, homemade croquettes have a number of characteristics that set them apart from industrial ones. We give you some keys to help you identify if a croquette is truly homemade.
Croquette shape
As a general rule, homemade croquettes tend to have a more irregular shape than industrial croquettes. Homemade croquettes are made by hand, so the amount of product picked up to make each croquette can vary, as can the shape of each croquette, which may vary slightly from one to another.
Another aspect to highlight in homemade croquettes compared to industrial ones is the Absence Of mesh rest marks. In industrial croquettes, some fine lines can be perceived in the coating, which will be more visible the creamier the croquette is. Homemade croquettes lack this type of marking.
The texture of the croquette
And if there is a differentiating element of homemade croquettes, it is their texture. When cooking them, the aim is none other than to honour their name (“to eat something that crunches”) with a smooth texture inside. You will know that it is a homemade croquette if it is creamy on the inside and crispy and golden on the outside. The trick? When frying, you must use plenty of oil and it must be very hot.
How to make the perfect homemade croquette
Croquettes originated in France. Their name comes from the onomatopoeia “croquer,” meaning to crunch, and the first written reference dates back to 1817, attributed to Antonin Carême, a chef for Louis XIV who served his exquisite croquettes à la royale during a banquet. But what makes a good croquette?
The best homemade croquettes in Alcalá de Henares
At Casino, we have the best homemade croquettes in Alcalá de Henares. Our croquettes, like the rest of the products on our menu, are made with top-quality ingredients and recipes prepared with great care and in the purest traditional style. They'll remind you of your mum's!
Our Casino Alcalá kitchen team shares the secret to achieving the perfect homemade croquette:
“Proper cooking of the flour is essential to avoid lumps and to work the roux well to obtain juiciness. At Casino Alcalá, we add trisol, a soluble fibre derived from wheat, made up of 100% pure wheat dextrin%. This way, we ensure the croquettes don't open up and remain crispy. Furthermore, we add a good stock of the main product and whole milk.
Ultimately, the croquette is a popular recipe full of tricks that make all the difference. We invite you to come to Casino Alcalá and try our homemade Iberian ham croquettes.
Casino Alcalá is elegance, quality, distinction, exquisiteness… A space for all types of dinners, lunches, and events. Live an unforgettable gastronomic experience.
“A recipe has no soul. It is the cook who must give it soul.
Thomas Keller