Homemade Chicken Patties

Though I mostly brown-bagged my way through public school, chicken patty day was one I splurged on. Thank you Uncle Sam for giving us school kids something to show you care.

I know it's gross. But I liked the super soft white bun, snow white whirl, and leaf of iceberg smothering the crisp, ultra salty excuse for chicken in a perfect round puck. It was like a chicken nugget sandwich. For a $1.95. What's not to like? (Don't answer). 

Yesterday, with a fair amount of roasted dark meat in the fridge, and getting a little bored of the usual applications, I started thinking about my school days. So I went for it. 

Warning: placing any amount of meat in a food processor may seem like a terrible, awful idea. And it would be if you just blended it up and dove in with a fork. But if you keep going and mix it with a creamy bechamel, grainy mustard and locally milled corn flour, then roll spoonfuls of the mixture in cracker crumbs then pan fry, you will be glad you followed through. You could even slap these bad boys on a fresh yeast roll and smother with some homemade mayo. Or make them smaller and serve with honey mustard as an appetizer. Sorry Uncle Samuel, these win. 

Homemade Chicken Patties:

*about 3 cups pulled roasted chicken meat, preferably dark meat

*2 tablespoons butter

*1/2 cup plus 1 heaping tablespoon flour, divided

*1 1/2 cups whole milk

*pinch grated nutmeg

*sea salt

*fresh ground black pepper

*3 tablespoons grainy mustard

*1 egg

*1 cup quality corn meal

*1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs or panko bread crumbs

*olive oil for frying

Place chicken meat in food processor and blend until uniform. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside. Make bechamel: Place a medium saucepan over medium heat with butter. Once melted add 1 tablespoon flour and whisk until incorporated. Allow to brown, whisking constantly. Slowly pour in milk while whisking. Bring to a simmer, and stir until sauce thickens. Season with nutmeg, sea salt and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches a smooth pancake batter consistancy. Stir in the mustard. Adjust seasonings. 

Place a large cast iron pan over medium heat and add enough olive oil to pan fry.

Mix bechamel with chicken and egg. Add enough cornmeal to create a spoonable mixture. Stir together remaining flour and bread crumbs in a small bowl. Season with sea salt. Working in batches, gently form about 3-4 tablespoons of chicken mixture into a loose ball and roll in flour/crumb mixture. Gently flatten and place in pan. Brown each side of patty, flipping once halfway through. Transfer to a cooling rack lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve with some homemade honey mustard sauce.