Hi everyone!
Tonight we chose to break from our usual path (I was going to say tradition, but I don't think it counts after only a few weeks) of easy recipes and mystery wines and made a few recipes from a new cook book that Sarah got me for Christmas. The book is called The Irish Spirit: Recipes Inspired by the Legendary Drinks of Ireland by Margaret M. Johnson (Link to Amazon page). It features numerous recipes with one thing in common: they all involved some sort of Irish spirit or beer.
Tonight's recipes were damned involving and took us about an hour plus to prepare. However the consensus of the table was that the wait was worth it. We made Chicken Cashel Blue, a Carrot and Turnip Puree, and Black and Tan Brownies. The chicken was immensely flavorful and juicy with strong Cashel blue cheese oozing out the center with every bite. The gingery carrots and turnips gave a nice change of pace for the mouth with the other salty foods.
Part of the Cashel recipe included mushrooms and shallots cooked in Jameson Irish Whisky. I've cooked these two vegetables numerous times before, but the whisky gave the whole dish a slight malty bite to it that I quite enjoyed. The recipe called for 2 Tablespoons of whisky, which is conveniently 1 fluid ounce. I made sure to test the whisky first before adding it to the recipe, you should too, for food safety sake. There may have been many good wines that we could have paired tonight, like a sweet white. But what's an Irish meal without Guinness or another Irish beer?
The meal was a hit, and Sarah's Black and Tan Brownies were just as good. They were messy to make, but the bitter chocolate over the sweet Tan brownies were a stunning combination.
Here's some pics, and the recipes are repeated at the end:
Always test the batter. Always.
Brownie making is messy!
Frying the chicken with 3 times used fried chicken oil.
Chicken Cashel Blue
Serves 4 as a Main Course
4 boneless chicken breast halves (4 – 5 ounces each)
4 ounces Cashel Blue cheese
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
½ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallot
6 ounces white mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
¼ cup half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh watercress for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make a horizontal incision in each chicken breast to for m a pocket. Cut the cheese into 4 pieces, and roll each into a cylinder shape. Stuff one into each chicken breast pocket.
Put the flour in one shallow dish, the egg wash in another, and the breadcrumbs in a third. Lightly dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, dip in the egg wash, and then cover with breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the canola oil. Cook the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake for 10 to 15 minutes while preparing the sauce.
In another skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and mushrooms and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft but not browned. Add the whiskey and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Stir in the half-and-half, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until smooth.
To serve, place a chicken breast in the center of each 4 plates and spoon the sauce over the top, Garnish with the watercress and serve with the purée.
Carrot and Turnip Purée
Serves 4 to 6 as a Side Dish
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into pieces
½ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Minced fresh chives for garnish
Cook the carrots and turnips in salted boiling water for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. Transfer to a food processor. Add the sour cream, ginger, and butter and process for 15 to 20 seconds, or until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chives.
Black and Tan Brownies
Serves 8 to 10
Tan Brownies
4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped pecans
Black Brownies
5 ounces (which is five squares) unsweetened chocolate
½ cup (one stick) unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
1 cup superfine sugar
4 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup Guinness stout
To make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 inch square pan.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and pecans. The batter will be thick. Spoon it into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula, or with dampened fingers.
To make the black brownies: In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate and butter over a bowl of hot water or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Stir in the superfine sugar, eggs, salt, flour, and vanilla. Whisk in the stout until smooth.
Pour the black brownie mixture over the tan brownie batter, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
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