Ham Croquettes
3 1/2 cups cooked ham, ground in a
processor
2 cups white sauce, see below
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. onion, minced
pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups freshly made breadcrumbs
1 egg
vegetable oil for deep frying
Combine the ham, sauce, parsley,
mustard, onion and pepper in a bowl
and blend well. If the mixture is warm, chill in the refrigerator until firm.
Put the
breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, and in another dish beat the egg
with 1 tbsp. water. Shape the meat
into 1 1/2 inch balls or cylinders. Roll them
in the crumbs, then dip in the egg and roll in the
crumbs again.
Let the croquettes dry in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set
the
coating. Fill a skillet half way up with vegetable oil and heat to
about 360 degrees. Fry a few
croquettes at a time without crowding until they are nicely browned. Remove with a slotted
spoon and drain on paper towels.
White Sauce
This is the normal white sauce
that is the basis for many dishes.
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. Flour
2 cups heated milk
salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a
heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook,
stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but do not let it
brown-about 2-3
minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir, as the sauce
thickens. Bring to a boil. Lower
the heat and cook, stirring, for
2 or 3 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you are making
this in advance, cover it with wax paper or pour a little milk over the top
so it does not form a skin.
If you do not like to make white
sauce you can buy the
powdered packages of white sauce and use 2 for this recipe.
