Today I want to share a fun snack called San Jacobos. These are bundles of ham and cheese that have been breaded and fried. Crunchy on the outside, gooey cheese on the inside. Here in Spain, they’re a convenience food. You can find them in just about every freezer case and they’re popular both as a meal and as a snack. The good news is they’re easy to make at home and you may already have everything you need on hand.
The first time I had these I was on the Camino de Santiago. I spent the night in an albergue with a community dinner where they were served. Their San Jacobos had an egg batter on them instead of the more common method of breading and frying. Either way, they’re tasty.
There’s no big challenge to making these, except for dealing with hot oil. I think they’d be a good way to introduce a budding chef to a breading station and frying.
There’s also no real recipe. You’ll want to use a good quality cooked ham, one that’s been cut square is easier to deal with, but not necessary. If you’re not into ham feel free to substitute chicken or turkey slices. If you’re adventurous (and vegetarian) feel free to try your favorite plant based lunch meats and cheeses.
You’ll find the written recipe below the video.
Ingredients
For 2 servings as a snack:
- 12 slices thinly cut baked ham depending on the thickness
- 6 slices cheese
- mustard optional
- 1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- oil for frying I used sunflower oil
Instructions
- Arrange two slices of ham on your work surface. Spread with mustard, then top with two slices of cheese and two more slices of ham.
- Trim the sides to make everything even, then cut into four squares. Leave whole if you want to serve these as part of a meal.
- Repeat with the remaining ham and cheese. You should have 12 squares.
- Set up a breading station. Dip the San Jacobos into the flour, then the egg, and follow with the bread crumbs. Pay attention to the sides to help prevent the cheese from oozing out while cooking.
- At this point the San Jacobos can be stored in the fridge for a couple hours or frozen for later use. No need to thaw before cooking.
- To fry, heat about a half inch of oil in a medium skillet.
- Add the San Jacobos without crowding the pan and fry for several minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
- To serve, arrange on a platter with your choice of dipping sauce. I used honey mustard. Other choices might be ranch dressing or bbq sauce.
I hope you give these a try. They’re fun to make and may become a family favorite.
More delicious food from the Camino de Santiago:
I’ve had these, but never made them. They’re easy! I should give this a try — thanks!
I hope they turn out well for you. Thanks for stopping by 🙂