Chicken Croquettes with Green Pea Sauce

For a first try, this dish turned out really well. It had a crunchy exterior, and inside it was moist and flavorful. The green pea sauce was great, but next time I will make it a little bit thinner by reducing the simmer time at the end. If your breadcrumbs are coarse, give it a whirl in a mini-processor or grinder; finely ground, they will cover the whole croquette better and stay on during frying. To add a bit of flavor to the breadcrumbs, I threw in some pistachio nuts and a dash of dried thyme before grinding. Make sure your frying oil is not overly hot (as in smoking), or the croquettes will burn before the inside is heated through (the breadcrumbs brown very quickly)--start frying as soon as the oil starts to shimmer.

For the croquettes:

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 yellow onion, very finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup whole milk

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (I use store-bought roasted chickens)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

For breading:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs

Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light cream

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1/2 cup peas, thawed and drained

Make the croquettes:  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and whisk to blend well; keep whisking until the flour begins to turn golden and smell toasty, about 4 to 5 minutes (this is the roux). Add the milk in a slow steady stream, whisking continuously for about 2 minutes more.
Add the chicken and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine and cook until the mixture is warmed through and thickens up slightly more, about 2 minutes (it should have the texture of a moist cookie dough). Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Breading:  Take a rounded tablespoon of the cooled filling and roll it in your hands to make a small cylinder; set aside and repeat with the rest of the filling. Dredge each croquette very lightly in the flour, then in the eggs, and roll it in the breadcrumbs; set aside on a platter. Repeat with the remaining filling.
Preheat the oven to 200F and place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. In a 4-quart saucepan, add enough olive oil to cover the croquettes. Heat the oil until it starts to shimmer; don't let it smoke. Working in batches, fry the croquettes until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to the rack on the baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

Make the sauce:  Melt the butter and whisk in the flour; keep whisking until the mixtures turns a nice golden color (don’t brown it). Add the broth and the cream; cook and keep stirring until it starts to bubble. Season with salt and pepper.  Add the peas and bring back to a simmer until the sauce thickens to desired consistency. Drizzle over the chicken croquettes and serve hot. Makes about 20-25 croquettes.