Rouzole

Rouzole

Makes 4 pancakes

8 ounces firm white bread (about 8 slices), crusts cut off, and torn into small pieces

1 cup milk

¼ pound very lean bacon (about 4 thick slices), cut into ¾-inch pieces

¾ pound diced ham, roast pork, or cooked turkey (around 1-1/2 to 2 cups)

3 eggs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F, and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set it aside.

Mix the meat and bacon and spread out on a dinner plate. Put the plate, uncovered, in the freezer for about 20 minutes. You want the meat to be very firm, about half frozen through.

Meanwhile, mix the bread and milk in a medium-sized bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes. Put the eggs in a large bowl and beat until well-mixed. Using your hands, gently squeeze the excess milk from the bread. You don’t want to wring the bread out, just not have it dripping wet. Put the squeezed bread in the bowl with the eggs. Add the herbs, salt, and pepper.

Take half the meat mixture and put it in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the semi-frozen meat is chopped into very small pieces, no larger than 1/8-inch. Add the chopped meat to the bowl with the other ingredients, and repeat with the rest of the meat.

Stir everything together. Melt ¼ of the butter in a small non-stick skillet (about 5 inches at the bottom, 8 inches at the top) that you’ve heated over medium-low heat. Scoop out ¾ cup of well-mixed batter and pour into the skillet. Spread the mixture to make it even, and cook until the bottom is well-browned, about 5-6 minutes. Gently turn it over using a wide spatula, or slide it onto a small plate and invert back into the skillet. Cook until the bottom is browned. Then transfer the pancake to the greased baking sheet and put it in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 3 pancakes.