Amazing Chicken and Broccoli Patties

Despite not so glamorous appearance, these patties have one significant merit: they are very delicious. Anyone who tried them thought they were amazing. There is something very pleasing in the combination of tender chicken meat with a bitter- sweet broccoli, sharp garlic and earthy fenugreek - all chopped, mixed together and fried like pancakes. Which means quite easy to make since you skip the whole "forming the patties" step.

You can use either chicken thighs or breast meat. The former will yield more juicy patties while the latter will result in leaner patties (good news for your waist) that still can be very moist inside if not overcooked.

When using chicken breasts, I prefer to chop them with a knife into very small pieces (no larger than a little finger nail). Thighs are trickier to chop since they are more slippery, so I put them through a meat grinder, half a coarse grind and half fine. Chopping or grinding through a coarse dice will give the patties more interesting texture and juicier interior.

If you're a pescetarian, you can make similar patties using fish. This recipe will work wonders even with  very lean mild tasting fish.

You will need:

• About 1 lb boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, finely chopped with a knife or put through a meat grinder
• 2/3 cup cooked and finely chopped broccoli or broccolini
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped or put through a meat grinder with the meat
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 Large eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼-½ tsp ground fenugreek (optional, but highly recommendable)
• 2-3 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs

Mix all the ingredients well together and place in the fridge for a half hour to let the breadcrumbs swell and the flavors blend.

Check the consistency. The mixture should be thinner than for regular meat patties; able to come out of a spoon in a large blob and keep its shape when pressed with a spatula. If the mixture is too thick, stir in some water. If too thin, add more breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a wide pan and, using a soup spoon, plop several patties into the oil, shooting for no more than 2.5 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch in thickness. Press them lightly with the spoon to flatten out and cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.

Remember that breast meat gets easily overcooked, so don’t cook them too long. I cannot give you the exact cooking time because there are so many factors that may be different in my and your kitchen – how powerful the stove is, how conductive a frying pan is, how fast it takes for the oil to regain its heat after the patties being added and how thick they are. You may need to make several patties to see how much time they need to reach perfect doneness.

Transfer the cooked patties to a platter and proceed with another batch. You may need to add some more oil every now and then and, perhaps, change oil/pan once during cooking, especially if you double the recipe.

Ilya and I like them with some potent mustard on the side for a little kick. They are great right from the pan and no less excellent at room temperature or even after sitting in the fridge.

Comments

[John Stewart]

Wow! What a fantastic recipe. For me am a pescetarian, and definitely i will try similar patties using fish.
Thanks for the step by step explanation, it already looks easy to prepare. Let me tweet this.