Croquetas de Jamon (Spanish Ham Croquettes)

To Make the Filling

1. Melt butter and oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add the flour and stir to moisten it completely. Sauté the flour until it begins to turn a light brown color 2-3 min.
3. Add the milk a little by a little, stirring constantly to incorporate each addition, until you have added it all. (At first, it will look like you won't be able to get a smooth sauce, but continue working your sauce with a rubber spatula as you add a little milk at a time and it will smooth out.) Reduce the heat to medium low as needed, if your milk seems to scald before you can mix it into the roux. Continue heating the mixture as needed until it is creamy, thick, and smooth.
4. Add the diced ham and nutmeg. Mix well.
5. Taste your mixture and add salt as necessary.
6. Remove your mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly
7. Transfer the croqueta dough into a casserole dish and cover it with plastic wrap (or a lid). Refrigerate the dough overnight.

Shaping the Croquetas

1. Place the beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in a second, wide bowl.
2. (We found it easiest to shape all the croquettas first and then bread them. But, if you have extra hands in the kitchen, now is a good time to employ their help, assembly-line-style.)
3. Working with roughly 2 Tbsp of dough at a time, shape the chilled dough into little, fat thumbs. (Your hands will get sticky while shaping the dough. Keeping them lightly floured helps to cut down on the stickiness.)
4. Dip each croqueta, one at a time, in the beaten egg, turning to coat.
5. Then, roll it in the breadcrumbs, pressing to coat.
6. Place the breaded croquetas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all the croquetas are breaded, place your baking sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, to firm them up slightly.

If Cooking Immediately

1. At this point you can heat ½ inch of vegetable oil over med high heat in a shallow skillet. (When you drop a little flour or bread crumbs into the oil and they sizzle, the oil is ready.)
2. Fry your chilled croquetas in batches, making sure not to crowd the oil, 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
3. Remove the croquetas from the frying pan and place them on a paper towel lined platter to cool slightly.
4. Serve warm!

If Freezing For Later

1. Once the croquetas are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container until you are ready to fry them up.
2. To fry your croquetas from well-frozen, let them thaw on the counter for 10-15 minutes before frying.