Chicken, mortadella and pistachio loaf

• By Mark Camilleri

You will need:

800g of minced chicken breast, 250g of mortadella (cut into chunks), 100g of pistachios, an onion (finely chopped), a clove of garlic (finely chopped), two hard-boiled eggs (sliced), 100g of Parmesan cheese, two eggs, 30g of fresh parsley (chopped), 50ml of milk, salt and pepper, 12 slices of Parma ham, 4 slices of bread.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/180C. Cut the bread into chunks; beat the eggs and then beat in the milk. Mix in the bread. Put the chicken in a bowl with all the ingredients including the egg-milk-bread mixture, except the Parma ham. Mix until all is incorporated and add salt and pepper to taste. Line a loaf-tin with the Parma ham, so that the slices hang over the sides. Scoop the chicken mixture into the tin and press it down to compact the loaf. Fold over the Parma ham and cover the surface with a piece of greaseproof paper. Put the filled tin into an oven-dish half-filled with water. Bake it for 40 minutes or until the filling firms up, then remove the greaseproof paper and bake it for another 10 minutes or until the Parma ham is crisp. Remove the tin from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes before turning the loaf out and slicing it. Serve it hot or cold, with a salad or freshly boiled vegetables, or in a sandwich.