Spanish Crab and Shrimp Croquettes (Croquetas) – Chef's Pencil

These traditional Spanish fried balls called croquetas are delicious and make a great appetizer.

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Christopher Shaun	2020-05-05 14:27:43	29,117 Views	View on YouTube View Channel

HOW TO MAKE SPANISH CROQUETAS DE JAMÓN – Ham croquettes – In This Chef

Dentistry or Food? Yes believe it or not Spanish chef José Pizarro considered both career paths but luckily his love for food was just too strong and he had no choice but to leave his passion for dentistry at the kitchen door. Originally from the beautiful village of Talaván in Cáceres Extremadura José has been based in London for over 18 years. Often described as the godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK José spent his early years here working at some of London’s most prestigious Spanish restaurants including Eyre Brothers Brindisa and Gaudi. In 2011 José opened his first solo venture José Tapas Bar on Bermondsey Street. José Tapas Bar is a small and cosy venue inspired by the bustling tapas bars of Barcelona. The daily menu varies depending on what looks good in the market that day and they also serve a range of delicious Spanish sherries to complement the dishes. José has since opened two more restaurants in the capital – Pizarro just metres from José Tapas and José Pizarro on Broadgate Circle. José also opened a 'pop-up' restaurant Little José in Canary Wharf in 2017 serving tapas and gin and tonics! José believes that tapas is for everyone and that home cooks shouldn't be afraid of the idea of cooking lots of dishes – it's all about preparation and keeping it simple. This mantra of simplicity combined with José's charm enthusiasm and passion for Spanish food has led to José appearing on many of our favourite food TV shows. José is a regular on BBC 1's Saturday Kitchen and has also appeared on Sunday Brunch Weekend Kitchen with Waitrose Rick Stein's Christmas and Food Network's The Big Eat. He was recently part of the debut series of The Wine Show where he promoted two of his favourite things sherry and mussels! José’s talents don’t stop there though – his first two books Seasonal Spanish Food (Kyle Books 2009) and Spanish Flavours (Kyle Books 2012) were received to great acclaim. His latest book Basque (Hardie Grant 2016) is his most exciting work to date. A beautiful journey showcasing the wonderful food of this region a feast for the eyes and senses! In 2017 Basque was nominated for the Food and Travel Awards ‘Book of the Year’. His 4th book is Catalonia due out in October. In 2014 José was voted one of the ‘100 Españoles’ – a hugely prestigious award that celebrates the top 100 Spaniards in the world based on how they have showcased their talents to the masses and demonstrated their Spanish pride and love for the country through their work. José loves nothing more than flying the flag of his homeland so this award was particularly close to his heart as were Extremeños de Hoy and the 2017 Gatronomy awards by El Periódico and Extremadura Turismo. José is a regular at food festivals and has recently been found behind the stoves at some of the UK’s favourite events including The Big Feastival Taste of London Meatopia Aldeburgh & Padstow. His stage demonstrations are filled with wonderful anecdotes about growing up in Spain how his mother wouldn’t let him near the kitchen and his experiences as a Spanish chef in London.