BLUMENAU SAUSAGE CROQUETTES

Remove the casing from the Blumenau sausage and shred the meat.

Heat a little butter in a skillet and sauté the onion and garlic over low heat until translucent.

Add the shredded sausage to the sauté and cook until done.

Remove the sautéed sausage mixture from the heat and set aside to cool.

Prepare the béchamel sauce over low heat by frying the all-purpose flour with the butter (making the roux) in equal proportions.

Gradually add the milk to form the white sauce, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps.

Season the béchamel with salt (sparingly, as the sausage is salty), freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg.

Cook the sauce until it thickens and pulls away from the bottom of the pan, reaching a consistency similar to firm fudge.

Transfer the béchamel to a bowl and incorporate the sautéed sausage, mixing while the sausage is still warm to fully combine the mixture.

Stir the mozzarella into the sausage and béchamel mixture.

Refrigerate the mixture to cool and firm up, making it easier to shape the croquettes.

Shape the chilled mixture into croquettes.

Dredge each croquette using a standard breading procedure: first pass in all-purpose flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in Panko for maximum crispiness.

Fry the croquettes in hot oil until golden brown.