Chicken Ball - A Surprise Revisited

I didn't know what to call this dish.  I just wanted to try out something with chicken mince and this is what I did.  I called it Chicken Ball Surprise because there was a melted cheese surprise in the middle of the ball.  It certainly impressed the better half who wondered how I had managed to do it!

First I mixed up some:

Chicken mince

Breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper

Crème fraiche (just a touch)

Grated mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon of piri piri sauce (could be any hot sauce)

A tablespoon or so of chopped cornichons (teensy pickled cucumbers)

A teaspoon of mustard powder

A tiny sprinkling of dried thyme

1 egg (you may not need this)

I then molded this into balls (and put a cube of cheese into the middle).  You just grab your mixture and make it a flattish round.  Pop the cube of cheese into the middle of it and then squish the edges in over it and then roll it into a ball with your hands.  I find it easier to do with slightly wet hands.  I then rolled each ball in panko (Japanese breadcrumbs).

I then put the balls, covered, into the fridge.  I think this helps them meld together and makes it less likely that they will fall apart when you cook them.

When you are ready to cook, fry them in a butter/oil mixture until golden and then finish them for 15 minutes in a moderate oven to make sure they are cooked through.

I just served them with a store bought piripiri sauce