Balmoral Chicken With Clapshot And Creamy Whisky Sauce Recipe 45

CHICKEN BALMORAL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Cut each chicken breast almost in half horizontally to form a pocket. Mash the haggis and thyme together in a small bowl with a fork (no need to season). Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions, then use to stuff the breasts. Use 1 or 2 cocktail sticks to secure the filling inside (see Make Ahead).
• Heat the butter and oil in the frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the chicken skin-side down and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the chicken breasts over and brown the other sides for 3 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 15-18 minutes or until just cooked through (the juices will run clear when the chicken breast is pierced with a skewer in the thickest part).
• Remove the chicken and put on a plate to rest, loosely covered with foil to keep warm. Put the pan back on the hob, pour in the stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in a splash of whisky and the cream, then season with salt and plenty of black pepper, adding a little more whisky to taste. Serve the chicken with neeps and tatties, steamed seasonal greens and a spoonful of whisky cream sauce.

BALMORAL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Butterfly each chicken breast and beat them out until flat as described above, and leave the breast sitting on a sheet of cling film as it will help you roll it tightly.
• On another sheet of cling film lay out four strips of the bacon, try to avoid gaps as this will be the outer layer of the chicken and how neatly this is done will affect the final appearance of the dish.
• Lay the flattened chicken breast on top of the bacon.
• Place 100g of quality haggis inside the center of one edge - I found that chopping the haggis up then squeezing it together into a semi solid sausage shape was easiest way to do this.
• Wrap the haggis inside the chicken breast by gently lifting the cling film where the haggis is, and as it lifts pull it slightly over the rest of the chicken breast, and it should start to wrap the haggis inside a sausage of chicken. Take care to keep it all together neatly - and keep the chicken tucked in.
• You should now have the haggis wrapped in chicken and then in turn wrapped in bacon. Keep the cling film on and wrap up the parcels tightly and place on a plate ready to refrigerate.Repeat the process for the four chicken breasts - don't worry it will get easier and neater each time!
• Put the plate in the fridge and refrigerate the parcels for about 15 minutes - it helps them to stay together.
• Preheat your oven to 160ºC/325°F or Gas Mark 3.
• Remove the cling film from the parcels, place on to a baking tray with some foil on and place in the oven for about 25 minutes.
• Start boiling the potatoes now and they should be ready around the same time as the parcels.
• After 25 minutes, switch the oven off, spoon over some of the cooking fats from the chicken and bacon, and grill the parcels until the bacon takes some colour and crisps. This should only take a few minutes.
• Drain and mash the potatoes and add the cream to make a smooth rich mash.
• Remove the parcels from the oven and rest them a little and let the fats drain away.
• Season to taste and serve with a creamy potato mash, your sauce, and some broccoli or green beans.

BALMORAL CHICKEN RECIPE: CHICKEN STUFFED WITH HAGGIS

Steps:

• Turn the oven on to 200C (400F)
• Cook the haggis as directed on the packaging. You'll find that most haggis comes in a log form. It can be baked in the oven in its casing, or opened and sliced to cook in the microwave. We find it easiest to buy a small haggis and then open it and cook how much we needed in the microwave, leaving the rest for another meal or freezing it. Set it aside to cool.
• Take the chicken breasts and make a slit in the side at the largest point to form a pocket. About 1-1.5cm should remain unsliced on the opposite side.
• Take the cooked haggis and stuff into each chicken breast. You don't want them to be too full, as the chicken should basically seal back around the haggis to form a circle of chicken with the haggis at the centre.
• Lay the bacon out and then place the chicken breast on one end, rolling it to cover the centre and seal the slit. Ideally, the ends of the bacon will be on the underside of the chicken. If you really need to you can secure it with a toothpick but it should stick fairly well to the chicken itself.
• Fry the wrapped chicken breasts so that the bacon browns a little and starts to crisp.
• Put them into a pan or on a baking tray and bake in the oven for around 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts. The juices should run clear when you insert a sharp knife.
• Meanwhile, cook any accompanying vegetables and the whisky sauce (check out our recipe here).
• To serve, slice the chicken breast in half so you can see the haggis inside, place on the plate with the vegetables and liberally pour over whisky sauce!

STEAK BALMORAL AND WHISKY SAUCE FROM THE WITCHERY BY THE CASTLE

Steps:

• Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium heat, then add the butter and green peppercorns and cook until the peppercorns release their aroma, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the steaks to the pan and cook to taste, then remove them and keep them warm.
• Add the whisky to the buttery steak juices in the pan and carefully set it alight, flambe it until the flames die down; then add the honey (if using), cream, stock and mushrooms and bring to a boil, reducing the heat to a gentle simmer.
• Simmer gently until the sauce has reduced by half, stirring from time to time to ensure that the mushrooms do not stick. Add the mustard, stirring well and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Serve the steaks with the sauce poured over the top and a selection of seasonal greens or a salad with chips (French fries) or a baked jacket potato.
• NB: The honey is optional, it adds a mellow flavour to the sauce if you feel the whisky makes the sauce a little too bitter - it does not add a vast amount of sweetness, so you can add it as an option.

BALMORAL CHICKEN WITH CLAPSHOT AND CREAMY WHISKY SAUCE RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• For the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts on a board and with a sharp knife, slice along the length to make a pocket in each. Form two long sausages of haggis and tuck these inside the chicken breasts, then cover with the flap of meat. Wrap the chicken breasts in bacon, covering as much of the chicken as possible. Brush with melted butter and season. Wrap in tin foil and bake in the oven at 200C for 30 mins. After 20 mins open the tin foil parcel so the bacon can go crispy. For the Clapshot: Boil the potatoes and the turnips for about 20 minutes, or until they are soft and fully cooked. Drain, and return to the pan. Mash them together thoroughly. Add the butter and seasoning, fluff up with a fork and serve hot. Garnish with chives. For the Sauce: Mix the chicken stock and whisky together in a pan and bring to the boil, reducing the volume of liquid by half. Add the mustard and cream stirring all the time. Then add the butter so that it melts completely and thickens the sauce. Serve over the chicken.

WHISKY CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a small pan over a medium heat until the butter starts to foam. Fry the shallot until soft but not golden, about 8 mins.
• Add the bay leaf and garlic, then cook for 1 min more. Add 100ml whisky and simmer until absorbed by the shallots, and almost evaporated.
• Pour in the stock and simmer for 5-10 mins until reduced by half. Stir in the cream and simmer for another 5 mins until thickened slightly. Season with salt and taste the sauce. Stir in the remaining whisky for a stronger flavour. Serve with haggis, steak or mashed potatoes.