A Year In Redwood

I know all those involved in the Irish Foodies Cookalong this month were probably expecting us to do bacon and cabbage!  Sorry to disappoint!

But, hey, we decided to go a completely different route!

Instead we choose to do the Irish ‘big house’ type of meal.  I’ve had The Irish Country House Table by Deirdre McQuillan in the house for years, and have a few favourite recipes from it that I use regularly.

The recipe chosen for last Friday’s cookalong is from Gurthalougha House on the shores of Lough Derg, and was one I hadn’t tried before.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast fillets

Stuffing:

• 115 g/1 small packet cream cheese
• 115 g/4 oz smoked trout
• 1 egg yolk
• white pepper
• dust of cayenne pepper
• 1 dsp chopped parsley

Sauce:

• 90 ml/3 fl oz white wine
• 115 ml/4 fl oz cream

Method:

Flatten chicken breasts with a rolling pin.

Mix stuffing ingredients in a bowl with a fork.  Stuff chicken breasts and bake, covered with tin foil, for about 45 mins at 180 deg. C/gas 4.

Remove the dish and keep warm.

Heat the wine in the pan with the baking juices.  Bring to the boil, add cream and reduce to thicken.

Pour over the chicken breasts and garnish with chopped chives.

We served it with some lovely roasted root vegetables.