Ingredients
¼lbunsalted butter
½Spanish onion,peeled and finely chopped
2½cupsall purpose flour
4cupswhole milk
10ozchicken,boiled and shredded
salt,as needed
1pinchnutmeg
2largeeggs,beaten
1cupbreadcrumbs
2cupsSpanish extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Heat the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes until they become translucent. Stir in 1½ cups of the flour and continue stirring vigorously.
Cook for 5 minutes until the flour is cooked through and golden brown. Pour the milk into the flour mixture and cook, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes, until you have a thick béchamel sauce.
Add the chicken, and sprinkle in ½ teaspoon of salt and the nutmeg. Cook for another 2 minutes. Should have a thick mixture that can be molded by hands.
Carefully pick up a bit of the mixture and try to ball it using hands. It shouldn’t be too sticky. If it does stick to the hands, allow the mixture to cook a little longer. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet to cool.
Take a spoon of the mixture and roll in using hands to make a small cylinder, about the size of a wine cork. Roll the cylinder in the remaining flour, then in the eggs, and then in the breadcrumbs and set aside on another cookie sheet.
Repeat with the remaining mixture until there are about 36 croquetas.
In a small deep frying pan, heat the olive oil to 375 degrees F. Working in small batches, add the croquetas, making sure they are covered completely in oil.
Fry for about 1 minute until golden then transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to let drain. Be sure to allow the oil to return to 375 degrees F on the candy thermometer between batches.
Season with salt and serve hot. Enjoy!
