Stuffed Chicken

Add a distinctive whisky twist to this simple dish with our Scotch Whisky Vinegar. It tastes great with a hearty helping of seasonal greens.

Ingredients (Makes 4)

  • 4 chicken breast fillets
  • 3 tbsp double cream
  • 135g unsalted butter (50g of this cut into small cubes)
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp Scotch Bonnet Sauce
  • 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced
  • 450g chestnut mushrooms
  • 100g shallot, finely diced
  • 1½ tbsp (3.6g) fresh thyme
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3 sprigs of tarragon
  • 1 tbsp Scotch Whisky vinegar
  • 12 button mushrooms
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Chicken:

  1. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan. Lay a chicken roll in the pan turning occasionally until the outside is sealed and golden brown. Set aside on a rack in a roasting pan. Repeat for the other three chicken rolls.
  2. Repeat the process for the other three breast fillets.
  3. Butterfly one chicken breast fillet (lay it flat and slice it in half cutting horizontally to about 90% of the way through, then open it out flat like a butterfly). Put the opened chicken breast between two sheets of cling film and beat it (e.g. with a rolling pin) to get an even thickness (about 8 mm).
  4. Melt 45g butter in a frying pan, when it starts to foam add the diced shallots and chilli, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme and cook for 30 seconds, then add the diced chestnut mushrooms, 1 tbsp Scotch Bonnet Sauce and ½ tsp salt, and cook for a further 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  5. Cut the white flesh of the chestnut mushroom caps into a fine dice, reserve the stalks and trimmings (expect about 260g of diced mushroom and 190g of stalks and trimmings.)
  6. Put the trimmings in a pan with 450ml of water, 3 garlic cloves, 3 sprigs of tarragon and a small pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and continue boiling until the liquid is reduced by 2/3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
  7. When the mushroom mixture has cooled to room temperature add 1 egg yolk to bind the mixture.
  8. Remove the top layer of clingfilm and place a quarter (60g) of the mushroom filling mixture in a line across the middle of the meat, then roll the chicken up around the filling being careful to tuck in the chicken meat at the ends to prevent the filling squirting out. Secure the rolled up chicken by tying it with string.
  9. Season the chicken on the outside with salt and black pepper.
  10. Place the chicken rolls, still on the rack in a roasting pan, into a preheated 180°C oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Whisky mushroom sauce:

  1. When the chicken has cooked, remove from the oven and let it stand for at least 2 minutes before removing the string and cutting it carefully into 1 cm slices.
  2. In a separate frying pan, melt 40g of butter and fry the sliced button mushrooms until just cooked; set aside.
  3. Pass the infused mushroom stock through a fine sieve to remove the mushroom trimmings and herbs.
  4. Measure out 130 ml of the mushroom stock into a pan, add 1 tbsp of Scotch Whisky Vinegar and bring to the boil. Whisk in 3 tbsp of double cream, return to the boil and reduce to thicken.
  5. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the 50g of cubed butter, then add the sliced button mushrooms. Finally season with a pinch of salt and keep warm.
  6. Finally, arrange the slices on a warmed plate and top with the mushroom whisky sauce