Recipes: Cullen Skink | Crofters Chicken

Cullen Skink – serves 4

Ingredients:

2 6oz natural smoked haddock fillets (cut into chunks)

2 large Maris Piper potatoes (peel and cubed as desired)

1 white onion (finely chopped)

1 small leek (white only, finely chopped)

200ml double cream

1 litre fish stock

20g unsalted butter

1 garlic clove (optional, grate if desired)

Ground white pepper

Chives

Method:

Put a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. When melted add the onion, leek and garlic, sauté until soft but do not allow them to colour.

Add potatoes, pepper and fish stock. Bring to the boil then simmer until potatoes are just cooked. Add the smoked haddock and double cream then bring to boil for two minutes.

Turn off heat and let it sit for a few minutes before stirring and serving.

When serving, make sure you ladle the potatoes and haddock as evenly as possible.

Garnish with finely chopped chives.

Crofters Chicken – serves 4

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken breasts

8 rashers of unsmoked Ayrshire streaky bacon

200g haggis (find a quality one!), cut evenly into four pieces

1 sprig of rosemary (strip leaves and chop finely)

500ml double cream

1 small white onion finely chopped (or the white of a leek)

20g unsalted butter

Salt and ground white pepper

2tsp rapeseed oil (olive oil is also fine)

50ml Scotch whisky (use more if desired as 50ml is very subtle)

Method:

Cut an incision lengthways on the underside of each chicken breast to create a pocket, then sprinkle a little rosemary into each one.

Roll each piece of haggis into a sausage shape and stuff into the pocket. Then wrap two pieces of bacon around each breast, covering it as much as possible.

Pre-heat oven to 200C. Heat the rapeseed oil in a frying pan then sear each breast on both sides before placing on greaseproof paper on a pre-heated baking tray and putting in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. Ensure the chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, take a saucepan and add the butter. When melted, add the chopped onion and sauté gently until soft.

Add the whisky and allow the alcohol to evaporate, then add the cream and salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce by a quarter then pass through a fine sieve before serving.

Serving suggestions: in autumn/winter, try heather honey and thyme roasted seasonal vegetables with creamy mashed potatoes.

In spring/summer, omit the sauce and serve with sautéed potatoes and seasonal leaves with a honey mustard vinaigrette.