Spanish Croquetas

In a cast iron or heavy bottom pan heat 1/4 cup butter.

Add the onion and saute until translucent, about five minutes.

Add 2 heaping tablespoons of whole wheat flour constantly stirring until browned.

Add 1/2 - 3/4 cup whole milk and stir continuously until the sauce has thickened and reduced.

Add another 1/2 - 3/4 cup of whole milk, a pinch of ground nutmeg and 1 tsp sea salt. Continue to stir and add 2 cups of your shredded meat or fish. You are making a thick bchamel sauce which simply means milk thickened with flour and butter. It should be thick enough that the sauce easily pulls away from the bottom of the pan. This is very important as we are going to be molding the bechamel sauce to make our croquetas.Once the mixture has thickened, place in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.After the mixture has rested and cooled roll a cylinder shape with your hands. Tip: if the mixture is sticking to your hands, dampen them with water.

Roll the cylinder in in the eggs then in the breadcrumbs. Set aside and repeat with the remaining mixture. At this point you can freeze the croquetas on a cookie sheet or baking stone and fry them later.Fry the croquetas in extra virgin olive oil until browned on all sides. About 2 to 3 minutes per side.