Cheese and ham croquettes

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 100 g lean ham
• 1 large onion(s), approx. 100 g
• 150 g mountain cheese, mildly spicy, grated
• 50 g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 50 g wheat flour
• 300 ml whole milk
• 50 g butter, mildly soured
• ½ tsp white pepper, finely ground
• 1 tsp smoked salt
• 2 m.-sized eggs
• 6 tbsp whipped cream
• 30 g Parmesan, grated
• 150 g breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

This fried surprise fits on any buffet, or for a football evening with friends, hot or cold

Cut the ham, without tendons, into small cubes. Peel the onion and also dice it into small cubes. Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the diced onions. Once they are translucent, add the flour and stir in. Reduce heat to low, stirring frequently until light and roux is formed. If the mixture tries to stick to the bottom of the pan, stir in the cold milk and the diced ham. The sauce should stay light in color, so stir frequently. After about 10 minutes, a thick paste should form. Now add the two cheeses and stir frequently to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. After another 5 minutes, enough liquid will have evaporated and a smooth dough will have formed. Finally, transfer everything to a container and allow to cool. Then place the container in the refrigerator for about 5 hours. With floured hands, form this mixture into approximately 15 croquettes, each weighing approximately 50g, and place them in the freezer for another 30 minutes. Coat these croquettes evenly in the beaten egg and cream mixture. Then roll them in the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese mixture. Repeat these two steps until the cheese mixture is well coated. Fry the croquettes one at a time in the preheated deep fryer until golden brown and crispy. Finally, pat them dry with kitchen paper to remove any excess oil before serving the crispy croquettes with any kind of dip.