THURSDAY'S RECIPE: Wild Mushroom Croquette with Black Truffle and Manchego Fondue

A contemporary reinterpretation of Spanish tapas, elevated to the realm of gourmet cuisine

This croquette combines crunchy, melting textures with earthy flavors and lactic notes, and featuresintense umami. The base is a duxelle of wild mushrooms—chanterelles and maitake—slowly cooked to concentrate their full flavor. Inside, a sphere of Manchego cheese fondue melts with the heat of frying.

The whole thing is crowned with a silky velouté of black truffle, chive ash, and fine threads of mushroom leather.

Ingredients for 10 croquettes.

Wild mushroom duxelle.

• 1 cup fresh chanterelles, finely chopped.

• 1 cup of maitake mushrooms, finely chopped.

• 2 tablespoons of butter.

• 1 small shallot, chopped.

• 1 clove of garlic, minced.

• 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme.

• Salt and pepper to taste.
  

Manchego fondue.

• 1/2 cup of finely grated cured Manchego cheese.

• 1/4 cup whipping cream.

• Pinch of nutmeg.
  

Base dough for croquettes.

• 2 tablespoons of butter.

• 2 tablespoons of flour.

• 1 cup of hot whole milk.

• 1 cup of mushroom duxelle (prepared)

• 1 teaspoon black truffle oil (optional)

• Salt to taste.
  

For breading and frying.

• Wheat flour.

• 2 beaten eggs.

• Panko or fine breadcrumbs.

• Neutral oil for frying.
  

Black truffle velouté.

• 2 tablespoons of butter.

• 2 tablespoons of flour.

• 1 ½ cups of light poultry or vegetable stock.

• 1 teaspoon of black truffle paste.

• Salt to taste.
  

Decoration (optional).

• Chive ash (charring chives and grinding to ash)

• Mushroom leather (dehydrated flakes of mushroom puree)
  

Procedure.

1. Prepare the duxelle: In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the shallot and garlic until soft. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the water has evaporated and the mixture has a paste-like consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Set aside.
   

2. Make the Manchego fondue core: Heat the cream with a pinch of nutmeg. Add the cheese and stir until completely melted. Pour the mixture into small silicone molds or scoop out by spoonfuls onto a tray lined with waxed paper. Freeze until completely solid.
   

3. Prepare the base: Make a light béchamel with butter, flour, and hot milk. Cook the roux for a couple of minutes before gradually adding the milk, whisking constantly. Once thickened, stir in the duxelle and truffle oil. Cook until it separates from the bottom of the pan. Adjust the salt. Chill well before handling.
   

4. Form the croquettes:

   Take a portion of the cold dough, place the frozen fondue core in the center, and shape into an oval. Repeat until finished.
   

5. Breading: Dip each croquette in flour, then beaten egg, and finally panko. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to maintain their shape while frying.
   

6. Fry: Heat the oil to 175°C and fry the croquettes until they aregolden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
   

7. Truffle Velouté: Make a roux with butter and flour. Add the hot stock little by little, whisking constantly. Cook until velvety. Add the black truffle paste and season with salt.

   
   

8. Assembly:

   
   

   Place a base of warm velouté on the plate, arrange the croquette on top, sprinkle with chive ash, and decorate with mushroom leather threads if desired.

   
   
   
   

Chef's Tips:

• The secret is in the duxelle: it must be scorched so that the dough is neither wet nor soft.

  
  

• Use gloves and keep your hands cold to form the croquettes and prevent the fondue from melting prematurely.

  
  

• You can create a vegetarian version using vegetable stock and omitting the animal-based cheese if you prefer.

  
  

• Mushroom leather can be made from oven-dried mushroom puree at 80°C for 3–4 hours and then sliced into strands.

This recipe is ideal as an amuse-bouche or starter for a tasting menu, offering a multisensory experience with contrasts in texture, temperature, and depth of flavor.