Scottish Highland Chicken Soup Food

SCOTTISH HIGHLAND CHICKEN WITH WHISKY AND CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub all over with salt, pepper and half the olive oil.
• Combine the remaining oil and butter in a lidded roasting pan and place over medium heat.
• When butter is foaming, place the chicken, breast side down, in the pan and brown for about 4-5 minutes, then turn and brown on the other side for the same length of time. Drain off most of the fat.
• Return the pan with the chicken to the heat and, working quickly, pour the whiskey over it and then set alight. Let the flame die down and then add the broth.
• Cover the chicken with the roasting pan lid (or tuck foil all the way around) and transfer to the oven to bake for about 45-50 minutes.
• When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board to rest.
• Drain off some of the accumulated fat and then set the pan on a medium high heat.
• Add a spoonful of water to loosen bits clinging to the bottom of the pan, and then add the cream, stirring as you do so.
• Bring to a boil and let cook for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the parsley to the sauce and keep warm.
• Section the chicken and serve the sauce at table with the chicken. Serves 4-6.
• Speyside Whisky Festival: Held each year at the beginning of May, the Speyside Whisky Festival provides opportunities to tour some of Scotland's most esteemed distilleries, meet the experts in the whisky industry and, the best part, taste some stellar malts. There is great fun to be had during the evenings, fueled by malt and music and the company of fellow whisky lovers from around Scotland and the world. Visit http://www.spiritofspeyside.com for more information.
• NOTE: The Famous Grouse blended whisky, which, by the way, includes these three whiskies in the blend: Glenrothes (for fragrance), Highland Park (for a light smokiness) and Macallan (for unmistakable richness and backbone).
• New Celtic Cooking.

CHICKEN STOVIES - TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut chicken into serving pieces.
• Slice potatoes in medium thick rounds.
• Melt 1 heaped tablespoons.
• of butter in a skillet or saucepan.
• Brown chicken joints lightly on both sides and then remove them.
• Grease an ovenproof casserole dish and put in layers as follows: sliced potatoes, whole shallots or sliced onions (all well-seasoned), chicken.
• Dot each layer with little knobs of butter.
• Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with a layer of potatoes.
• Pour stock over the potatoes, shallots and chicken.
• Cover with buttered greaseproof paper, then with lid.
• Cook in oven at 275F/135C for about 2½ hours.
• Add a little hot stock or water after about an hour or so, if liquid dries up too much.
• Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley 5 minutes before serving.

HIGHLAND CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a shallow pan combine the following ingredients to make the marinade: sherry, garlic, oil, salt, pepper and thyme.
• Add the chicken to the marinade, cover and refridgerate for 30 minutes or more.
• When chicken has marinated for at least 30 minutes, melt butter in a frying pan over medium high heat.
• Quickly brown the chicken breasts, then lower the heat, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
• Transfer chicken to plates.
• Add water to pan to deglaze it.
• Add remaining marinade to pan, bring to a boil (important for food safety since this marinated raw chicken) and simmer until reduced by half (at least 5 minutes).
• Add cream or low-fat milk and water alternative and heat through.
• Pour sauce over chicken.
• Serve with noodles or rice and roasted seasonal vegetables for a wonderful meal.