Croquetas (Spanish Croquettes)

This is one of the many favorite things to eat from when I lived in Seville. (Uh, I gained A LOT of weight. So delicious.) I got this recipe from the Loras a few years ago when I was in Spain visiting, watching every step as they made the croquetas. ( hoping I wrote everything down correctly.) I forgot to count, but think this makes about 30 croquetas.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken or shrimp, diced

1 onion, cut into fine pieces

1 block bullion (Kerr's Caldo brand, use chicken flavor with chicken or fish flavor with shrimp. I used vegetable)

1-2 T Olive oil

Vegetable oil for frying

Nutmeg

~ 1 cup flour

~ 3 cups chicken stock or milk

Bread crumbs

1-2 eggs

Heat oil in a skillet and saute onion. (I made two batches, one with meat and one with mushroom protein for a certain vegetarian.)

Cut or shred the meat into small pieces.

Break the bullion into pieces, add to the onion, and then add the meat. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Allow to cook until onions are transparent. Add about 1 cup of flour, enough to make the mixture crumbly.

Add stock (or milk) to the skillet. I added milk. Continue to simmer, stirring as needed. At this point the milk and flour resemble a gravy. Keep stirring until mixture thickens and is gummy and bubbles. Mixture will ball together like dough.

Remove from heat, let cool and refrigerate for several hours.

Once mixture is cool, spoon the mixture to make "logs", about 2 inches long and 3/4 inch thick.

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl.

Roll the logs to firm up the shape and dip the logs first in the egg and then in the bread crumbs.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot. Fry the croquetas in oil until browned.
(I have baked these in the oven at 350 degrees until browned in the past. They turned out okay, but frying does taste better.)

Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy. These are often served at room temperature.