Blue Cheese Croquettes

A few months back, during Queen's Feast, we had dinner at M5. One of the sides served was blue cheese croquettes, and John challenged me to make these from scratch. The following is the recipe I used. It tastes identical to what we had at M5, and since I am currently obsessed with cheese, I had to share it. The recipe can span two days if you don't have a few hours to spare. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Croquettes

Ingredients
1/2 stick unsalted butter
olive oil
5 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plus more for breading croquettes)
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 c. crumbled blue cheese (I used Roquefort and would recommend one that isn't smokey)
pinch of nutmeg
freshly ground sea salt
white pepper
2 large eggs
2 c. fine bread crumbs


Directions
Melt butter and 3 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, until a smooth paste forms. Increase heat to medium-high and add milk while whisking constantly until smooth. Add cheese and stir until smooth.

Reduce heat to low and stir slowly until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Grate in nutmeg and season with sea salt and white pepper to taste. Scrape mixture into lightly oiled brownie pan and let cool to room temperature. Place plastic wrap directly on top of mixture to cover it, and refrigerate at least three hours to overnight.

Prepare three bowls: 1. flour, 2. whisked eggs, 3. bread crumbs

Lightly flour your hands and use a spoon to scoop rounded ovals of cheese mixture out of pan. Roll lightly between your hands to form chestnut-sized ovals. Once you have formed the cheese mixture into ovals, dip each one into the bowls, in order (flour, eggs, bread crumbs) and place on a baking sheet.

Pour 1 inch of olive oil into an 8-inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Fry croquettes, 6-7 at a time, until golden brown on all sides, turning once during heating and adjusting the heat to ensure the oil doesn't burn. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the croquettes to a wire rack with two layers of paper towels underneath to catch drips. Allow to drain, then serve while hot. Croquettes will keep overnight once fried and can be reheated in the oven.