Chicken Croquettes

Ingredients

• 3 cups finely minced cooked chicken
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 small yellow onion, grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, for breading
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs
• 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Before you cook

• Mince the cooked chicken very fine, almost to a paste in places.
• Grate the onion and chop the parsley.
• Set out three shallow dishes with the breading flour, the beaten eggs and the breadcrumbs.

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the half cup of flour.
2. Cook the roux for 3 minutes, stirring, until it is pale gold and smells toasty.
3. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth and cook for 6 minutes, until the sauce is as thick as stiff mashed potatoes.
4. Stir in the grated onion, parsley, salt, white pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice.
5. Fold in the minced chicken and cook for 2 minutes so the mixture pulls away from the pan sides.
6. Spread the mixture in a shallow pan, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours until firm and cold.
7. Scoop the chilled mixture into twelve portions and roll each into a short cone or thick log.
8. Roll each croquette in flour, then in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs on firmly.
9. Chill the breaded croquettes for 20 minutes so the coating sets.
10. Heat the oil in a deep pot to 365 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Fry four croquettes at a time for 3 minutes, turning them, until they are evenly deep golden.
12. Drain them on a rack, salt them, and serve them hot with cream gravy or a squeeze of lemon.