Mock Chicken is one of the most famous recipes from the Great Depression era. It definitely has its place in today’s cuisine because it’s not only a cheap recipe but also a delicious one.
As I said in the Hot Milk Cake recipe (another Great Depression era recipe), people in those times had to feed the whole family on a small budget. Meat was scarce and a luxury and so the housewives often invented recipes that imitated the taste of the meat without actually using any. I think it’s good to remember these recipes nowadays in order to be grateful for what we have and to remember that you can do miracles in the kitchen with very little.
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What is Mock Chicken?
Mock Chicken doesn’t contain any chicken or other meat. It’s a dish that’s supposed to taste a little like chicken and fill your belly but go easy on your budget. Different families have different recipes for mock chicken, however, I make one of the most simple (and therefore cheapest) ones.
I’ll give you a few more tips on how to serve the dish and how to make it a bit more interesting right after I show you how to make it.
How to make Mock Chicken
Supplies:
- 1 small onion
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp of butter
- salt
- 1 tbsp of herbs (basil, oregano, parsley) – dried or fresh chopped
How to make Mock Chicken:
Chop the onion very finely. Throw the tomato into boiling water for three minutes, then take it out and let it cool down just so you can peel it. Then chop it finely as well.
Over low heat melt the butter in a pan and fry the onion until clear. Then add the tomato and fry until the mixture has light pink color. Beat the egg with the herbs and salt, add to the mixture in the pan. Stir constantly until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Let it cool down and serve or use for further recipes.
How to serve it
1. Main course or snack – Mock chicken is typically served cold with crackers or bread.
2. Sandwich filling – it’s a great sandwich filling. If you’d like more of a smooth spread, blend it with a blender.
3. Salad – Mock chicken is a delicious addition to your green salad and it tastes very good also just with pieces of cherry tomatoes.
4. As part of other meals – you can use it in other recipes such as mock chicken drumsticks or basically anything else where you want to replace chicken with a meatless alternative.
5. With cheese – a handful of grated cheese will surely make the dish more interesting to anyone who likes cheese
6. Add some breadcrumbs – if you need to make it denser, especially for further recipes, add some breadcrumbs.
