Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Batter:

• 6 ounces butter
• 1 cup minced onion, about 1 large
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 6 ounces minced Serrano ham
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Breading:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 10 ounces bread crumbs
• 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying

Method:
For batter:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent.

Add flour to pan and cook, stirring constantly, until consistency of white, wet sand, about 7 minutes.

Slowly add milk and heavy cream, a little at a time to roux. Stir constantly to insure smooth consistency. Simmer over low heat until the mixture has thickened and no longer tastes like raw flour, about 30 minutes. Add minced Serrano ham and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Pour batter into a shallow pan to cool.

Once cool, shape batter into 1-inch balls using an ice cream scooper and set on a sheet pan. Set sheet pan in freezer until batter is solid, about 8 hours.

For breading:
Set up 3 separate dishes with flour, eggs, and bread crumbs. Remove frozen balls from freezer and dip in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. Refreeze the croquettas for approximately 2 more hours.

Heat oil to 350°F in a medium saucepot. Place frozen croquettas in oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Beer Pairing:
A classic pilsner such as the Rogue Uber Pils