Croquetas de Jamón Ibérico

Heat the milk in a saucepan until steaming. Keep it hot over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a separate heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft and translucent but not coloured.

Add the jamón to the onion and stir for 1 minute, just to warm it through. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Add the hot milk one ladleful at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until fully absorbed before adding the next. This will take about 10 minutes. The final béchamel should be very thick — it will pull away from the sides of the pan and hold a figure-of-eight trail when you lift the spoon.

Season with salt and nutmeg. Pour into a shallow container, press clingfilm directly onto the surface, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Take tablespoon-sized scoops of the cold béchamel and shape into small cylinders, about 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, using wet hands. Place on a tray.

Roll each croqueta in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, then egg again, then breadcrumbs again (double coating). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat sunflower oil to 180°C in a deep pot. Fry in small batches of 4–5 for 2–3 minutes until deep golden all over. Drain on paper and serve immediately.