Croquetas de Gambas

The Premium Croquette

If the Croqueta de Jamón is the classic, then the Croqueta de Gambas is the premium upgrade — a more delicate, more luxurious version that showcases the natural sweetness of fresh prawns encased in a silky béchamel.

The prawns are sautéed in butter and garlic before being folded into the béchamel, infusing the filling with a rich seafood flavour that is subtler and more refined than its jamón counterpart. The result is a croqueta of real elegance — crisp, golden and filled with the taste of the sea.

The Croqueta de Gambas is the one that makes people stop mid-conversation. The first bite — that moment when the golden crust gives way to the creamy prawn filling — is a genuine revelation.

Where the Sea Meets the Kitchen

Spain's coastal regions have long produced seafood croquettes that rival their jamón counterparts for flavour and complexity. The Croqueta de Gambas emerged from the coastal kitchens of Andalusia and the Mediterranean coast, where fresh prawns were abundant and the technique of béchamel-based croquettes was already well established.

The key to a great Croqueta de Gambas is the quality of the prawns and the lightness of the béchamel. Too dense and the filling becomes heavy, masking the delicate sweetness of the seafood. Too loose and the croqueta won't hold its shape during frying. The perfect balance is what separates the exceptional from the ordinary.

At Tapas Madriz, our Croquetas de Gambas are available as part of the El Chef's Premium package or as an add-on. At Melbourne events, they are always the first premium tapa to disappear.