This Classy Pizza Bite Brings the Tapas Bar to Your Kitchen

By The Kitchy Kitchen

If you thought pizza couldn't get any better, think again. Today, The Kitchy Kitchen shares with us a new favorite hybrid: pizza croquetas, deep-fried nuggets of Spanish-Italian cheesy goodness.

The Kitchy Kitchen

If you've ever been to a tapas bar, croquetas are the things you eat an embarrassing amount of. They're crunchy and a bit gooey, but mostly they're made of my favorite thing: bechamel. Bechamel is a creamy white sauce, a mother sauce that turns into mac and cheese, gratin, and yes, croquetas. To really put these little heavenly bites over the top, I added pizza flavors. IT TASTES LIKE A TINY PIZZA. This is the closest you're ever getting to a classy pizza bite or hot pocket, so take advantage of this moment.

The Kitchy Kitchen
The Kitchy Kitchen
The Kitchy Kitchen
The Kitchy Kitchen

Pizza Croquetas

From The Kitchy Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

    3 cups whole milk Salt and freshly ground black pepper Pinch freshly grated nutmeg 4 ounces (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 pinch chili flakes 1/2 cup grated mozzarella 1/4 cup grated parmesan 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 eggs 1 cup fine breadcrumbs Sunflower oil or mild olive oil for frying

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer; season with salt, pepper, and the nutmeg. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and keep hot.

    2. In a clean skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sift the flour into the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. It should be a compact and just-moist ball. Spread out the ball in the pan and begin slowly stirring in the hot milk until the mixture is creamy and not too sticky when touched, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the herbs, spices, cheeses and tomato paste. Cook, gently stirring, for 2 minutes. The mixture should be spongy and can be touched without sticking to your finger.

    3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl to cool. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until chilled. (This will make forming the croquettes easier.)

    4. On a flat work surface dusted with flour, form croquettes into 2- to 2 1/2-inch (5- to 6 1/4-centimeter) long cylinders about 1 inch (2 1/2 centimeters) in diameter. Lightly roll in flour.

    5. Break the eggs in a bowl and thoroughly whisk. Place the breadcrumbs in a second bowl.

    6. Dip the croquettes in the egg and roll in breadcrumbs to completely cover.

    7. In a skillet or sauté pan, heat at least 3/4 inch/2 centimeters of sunflower oil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Working in small batches that don’t crowd the pan, fry the croquettes, turning frequently, until they are golden on the outside and hot and creamy at the center, about 2 minutes. Gently transfer them to absorbent paper towels to drain off excess oil. Serve hot.