"Guell" Croquetas de Pollo

When it comes to Spain, there are some things that are just ubiquitous; the architecture of Gaudi and Croquetas or as we know them Croquettes. You cannot go to Spain without seeing some amazing work by the architect Antoni Gaudi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaud%C3%AD and you cannot pass up some amazing Spanish tapas like chicken croquettes. For this dish I was reminded of this lovely park by Gaudi, Park Guell, but if you are ever in Barcelona you cannot miss his masterwork, the Sagrada Familia church, it is an amazing sight.

Ingredients,

•  2 large chicken breasts
• a bit of olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• a large pat of butter
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to taste
• 2 cups of breadcrumbs
• canola oil/ bit of olive oil for frying the Croquetas
• asparagus 
• garlic

How to make them,

1. Cook the breasts in a bit of olive oil on both sides for about 6 minutes. remove from the pan, cut them into smaller slivers and continue cooking until the chicken is done.
2. Chop the chicken into a paste in a blender with 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.
3. Melt the butter in the same pan, stir the flour and cook the rue on low heat until it turns into a yellow paste.
4. Pour on the (room temperature) milk stirring constantly, bring to a boil, then reduce heat for 10 minutes. Them remove from heat.
5. Add the chicken paste into the rue, season with salt pepper and nutmeg, the nutmeg is the secret ingredient, so be sure to taste.
6. Put this mixture in a bowl in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour, then take out and roll into round small cylinder shapes.
7. Dip the croquettes into the remaining whisked egg, then dip into the breadcrumbs.
8. Fry in a 1/4" of oil, drain on paper towel and serve them while they are hot, they will not be there long!
9. For the asparagus I just sauteed them in a bit of olive oil with salt and pepper and a few sliced garlic cloves.