This old fashioned Mock Chicken recipe is a firm family favourite.
All of my aunts and cousins will think of just one person when this recipe is mentioned: our Nan MacDonald, Nana Ling's daughter.
Nan Mac, as we all called her, would turn up at our family gatherings with both arms weighed down by her cooking.
You could be sure that amongst the goodies, you'd find these two things: a dish of Mock Chicken and a perfectly baked and decorated sponge cake.
The Mock Chicken disappeared fast. Most of us didn't know what went into, we just knew it tasted great piled on top of a Jatz cracker.
It seems I may have found the source of this much-loved recipe in Nana Ling's recipe book. A recipe for "Mock Fowl".
What is Mock Chicken?
Mock chicken doesn't contain any chicken, but the recipe does include an egg!
It can be used the same way as chicken, and enjoyed with some veges, as a sandwich filling or atop a cracker.
It was popular at a time when chicken and other meats may have been a luxury.
Nana Ling’s recipe is dated December 1941, a time when Australia had just declared war on Japan and learnt that 645 crewmen had been lost with the sinking of the HMAS Sydney following a battle with a German raider off the Western Australian coast.
It’s not surprising that I’ve stumbled across quite a few “mock” recipes in her notebook. Rationing of food and clothes happened in Australia from 1942.
Are we falling in love with this depression-era dish again?
Although it may have been a meat substitute during poorer times, it definitely isn't a poor substitute, taste-wise.
Of course, these days mock meat is popular for entirely different reasons, too.
Many people switch to vegetarianism for weight loss, health-related and environmental reasons.
Perhaps Mock Chicken is ripe for a comeback? I can almost see Nana Ling and Nan Mac smiling at that thought!
Ingredients for Mock Chicken
To make Mock Chicken, you'll need:
- small onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 dessert spoon butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs.
My Aunty Judy also now adds a tablespoon of grated cheese to the mix.
This recipe calls for a peeled tomato.
Peeling tomatoes is a little different compared with peeling your standard fruit and vegetables.
While it may seem a little fiddly, it’s an interesting process and delivers a lovely, clean result. Much nicer than the mushy mess you’d be left with if you attempted this process with a peeler.
Making Mock Chicken
Peeling the tomato
First, prepare a saucepan of boiling water and a bowl of cold water.
Wash tomatoes and remove the stem.
Cut a shallow X in the bottom of the tomato using a small, sharp knife.
Place the tomato into the boiling water and after about 20 seconds the skin around the X should start to split further.
Immediately remove from boiling water and place into the bowl of cold water.
You should be able to remove the thin outer skin of the tomato quickly and easily with your hands.
Once cooled, chop the tomato and set aside.
Cooking it all up
Add the finely chopped onion to a frying pan and cook until clear.
Add butter and tomato to pan and cook well.
Beat egg and add to mixture along with herbs and cheese (if you're adding cheese).
Cook and stir in salt and pepper to taste.
Blend a little with a stick blender or chopper if desired to achieve a finer texture or serve as is.
Serve cool.
Nana Ling's original handwritten Mock Chicken recipe
Keep scrolling to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the tested and tweaked version.
Mock Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 small onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 dessert spoon butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- 1 tablespoon grated cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Peel tomato and chop. Set aside.
- Add finely chopped onion to a frying pan and cook until clear.
- Add butter and tomato to pan and cook well.
- Beat egg and add to mixture along with herbs. Cook and stir in salt and pepper to taste.
- Blend a little with a stick blender or chopper if desired to achieve a finer texture or serve as is.
- Serve cool.
Video
Notes
- Let the mixture cool slightly for about 5 mins, then use a stick blender for a few seconds to create a smoother-textured Mock Chicken
- You can also add a tablespoon of grated cheese to the ingredients (Nan Mac did this – maybe their generation had times a little better to add the cheese to recipe).
Dot Harland says
I am about to do some catering and was wondering what quantities I would need for 7 loaves of bread
Libby says
Hi Dot. I think you'd need about 1-2 quantities for each loaf, depending on how thick you like the spread. Libby
Karen says
I think pop’s home grown tomatoes made the difference
Libby says
They were the best! Tried to grow some this year and not much success - Pop Mac would have known what I'm doing wrong.
Gwen Clarke says
I am hoping this is the recipe A lady used in her café when I was a kid I used to work there and loved this on fresh bread.
Libby says
I hope so too, Gwen ??
Carissa says
I recently got my Nan’s mock chicken recipe from my cousin to submit to school for a cooking book, but I was curious about the history of it. I googled “what is the history of mock chicken” and your recipe came up. It is exactly my Nan’s recipe. I’ve just made it now but it never tastes as good as Nan’s ?
Libby says
Hi Carissa! Yes, our Nans had a magic touch that is hard to match 🙂 So glad you found the recipe and it matched with your Nan's recipe. This recipe is the most popular recipe on my blog, many people arrive here via Google 🙂
Tara Brooks says
A classic recipe! Brings back such fond memories of hot days and share- plate lunches at the Yuna Tennis Club- there was always one person who made mock- chicken. We loved it on fresh white bread sandwiches.
Libby says
Mock chicken seems to be a a happy food for many - thanks for sharing your thoughts Tara❣️
Jan says
Thanks for this , I remember my mother serving it on jazz crackers too. She had the recipe from her Welsh grandmother who called it something that sounded like sklamootch (not the right spelling!) has anybody else heard the word..?
Libby says
Hi Jan. Yes, It always goes so well on a good ol' Jatz! I've not heard of it being a Welsh dish. But when I was Googling just now I came across the dish called "Welsh Rarebit" - I'd never heard of it but that sounds interesting too. Perhaps someone else may read this and be able to add something more.
Judie says
I've loved mock chicken as a sandwich filling all my life but the only time I served it as a dip, everyone said it looked gross and I had to take most of it home. Not that I minded!
Libby says
Hi Judie 🙂 That's hilarious - we only ever had it as a dip and I only recently learned some people use it as a sandwich filling. If only they knew what they were missing out on!
Liz Walford says
I add a couple of spoons of gherkin relish! Yum! I will
try it with herbs and onion. PS I have just discovered your site. I'm loving it!! Thanks.
Libby says
Hi Liz. Nice idea - I'll try it and add it as a variation above! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback ☺️ x
Kaye Campbell says
Hi there
I made this for breakfast this morning served on toast. It is an old family favourite. I remember my mum making it and always it was yummy. My children have grown up with it too.
Libby says
oh yum! I've never thought to have it for breakfast but it'd be perfect. Enjoy x
Adele Clarke says
love mock chicken, especially warm on toasted rye bread...always add a smidgeon of curry powder! 😉
Liz says
Thanks for sharing! I love mock chicken! Mum used to make mock chicken sandwiches for Dad and I when we went to local footy matches when I was little, and I still make it today, 30 years on. It's even better the next day.
Aged Care Catering says
Nice post you had shared here.
Thanks for this recipe.
Libby says
You're welcome!
Geoff McCracken says
I love be this mock chicken. I found by adding S touch of Keens Curry powder it made the taste more awesome. Yummo
Libby says
That sounds great, Geoff. I'll give it a go and update the post to add this in as an option. Thanks for commenting!
Liz says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. My mother used to make this recipe when I was little (with the addition of cheese) as a sandwich spread for my Dad and I when we used too go to local footy matches. 30 years later I'm still making it!
Libby says
Hi Liz. You're welcome - thanks for commenting. It is such a popular recipe in our family and I'm not surprised you've been making it for 30 years. It really is a gem! I'm going to try it with cheese added. Libby x
John Siviour says
i am 70 and got the recipe from my mother i made some tonight and it brought back so many memories. the addition of cheese is a must . i use it on sandwiches and the recipe has travelled with me from australia to the uk. it never fails to impress.