Chicken Patties with Rosemary and Pancetta

Here is a lovely recipe from Nigel Slater's, The Kitchen Diaries. Simple, homey, and robust, these patties make a perfect meal on a cold winter's night.

Serves 3-4

1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound cubed pancetta, or bacon
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 pound minced chicken
a bit of olive oil for frying
1 cup chicken stock

Peel and chop the onion and garlic finely, then let them soften in the butter, in a large pan over medium heat, until lightly browned. Stir in the small cubes of pancetta. Strip rosemary leaves from the stalk, and chop finely. Add the herb to the pan and continue cooking until pancetta is golden brown. Set aside to cool a bit.

Add the onion mixture to the chicken, season generously with pepper and a bit of salt, and mix until well incorporated. Divide the chicken into 6 portions, and make a simple patty, slightly more plump than a homemade hamburger. Let patties settle for about half an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, pour just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and turn heat to high. Brown patties, until a caramel brown color is reached on both sides, about 3 minutes. Place browned patties in an ovenproof dish, pour in the stock, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Patties are ready when stock is bubbling and reduced. Serve hot, over mashed potatoes, with reduced stock as a gravy.

Potato Scones

Here is a recipe for an unusual, but very tasty scone from delicious. magazine. These scones are cooked similarly to how one makes English Muffins, on the stovetop rather than the oven. Depending on the weather, moisture of potatoes, humidity of the kitchen, etc. you may need to increase the amount of flour listed. You want the dough to be pliable yet hold together well. As the original recipe uses the metric system, I have also given a rough estimate in the American way of measuring.

Makes 8-10 scones

450 grams/2 cups (about 4) floury potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
25 grams/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
75 grams/1/3-1/2 cup flour, plus extra for dusting
vegetable oil, for greasing

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and mash with the butter and salt until smooth. While the potatoes are still hot mix in the flour. This may require a bit more flour than listed. Your dough should be dense yet malleable, and not too sticky. Cool dough, then chill for one hour.

Place chilled dough on a clean surface, dusted with additional flour to prevent sticking, and lightly roll out until 1/2 inch thickness is reached. Take a biscuit cutter, or drinking glass, approximately 4 inches in diameter, and cut out scones. Re-roll the trimmings to obtain more scones.

Lightly grease a heavy-bottomed, or cast-iron skillet, and place on the stove, over medium-low heat. When pan is heated, place the scones in, and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping once. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to cook the scones in batches. Finished scones should be golden-brown outside, moist and dense inside. Enjoy them with a cup of afternoon tea, or have them warmed for breakfast.