Serrano Ham and Manchego Croquetas with Smoked Pimentón Aioli

The ingredients: olive oil, butter, flour, whole milk, nutmeg, salt, eggs, breadcrumbs, Manchego cheese, Serrano ham, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and smoked paprika

First, we sliced up our gorgeous Serrano ham.

The Manchego gets some time with the microplane...

...and then the nutmeg on the micro-microplane.

Olive oil and butter make a fabulous duo.

Flour joined in...

...and we whisked away.

Next comes the milk, poured in a steady stream.

Perfection.

The Manchego cheese, Serrano ham, and the nutmeg get swirled in with a wooden spoon.

The whole concoction gets spread into a baking tray and sent into the fridge. 

A few hours later, the scoopage began.

Adorable.

Each little ball gets a nice bath in the egg mixture...

And then rolls around in the panko.

Even more adorable.

They cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes pre-fry.

And in they go!

After two minutes, they emerge: golden, shaggy, and perfect.

And for the aioli: add the lemon juice and mayonnaise to the food processor.

In with the garlic...

...and that beautiful Spanish sweet smoked paprika.

Away they go!

They're just shouting to be dunked and eaten.

Party-perfect!