Chicken, Mushroom, Blue Cheese

Chicken stuffed and rolled with pancetta, parmesan and mushroom duxelle, served with blue cheese cream sauce.

A delicious and impressive supper, full of earthy flavour from the mushroom and blue cheese. Wrapping the chicken tightly in kitchen foil before baking ensures it retains its shape.

This dish is best served with roast parsnip and sauté potatoes.

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Chicken, Mushroom, Blue Cheese
Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Chicken with Mushroom Duxelle: 2 Chicken Breasts, 25g Unsalted Butter, 150g Wild Mushrooms (Very Finely Chopped), 1 Shallot (Finely Chopped), 1 Garlic Clove (Crushed), 50g Smoked Pancetta (Diced), 1/4tsp Grated Nutmeg, Small Handful Parsley (Chopped), 2tbsp Grated Parmesan, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

For the Blue Cheese Sauce: 100ml Single Cream, 50-75g Blue Cheese (To Taste), 1/2tsp Worcestershire Sauce, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

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Method:

1) Begin by making the duxelle. Heat a sauté pan over a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic, shallot and pancetta and fry for 5 minutes until the pancetta is crisp. Add the mushrooms and sweat for 10-15 minutes until the majority of the moisture has evaporated from the pan – stir frequently. Add the parsley and nutmeg and season with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside to cool.

2) Pre-heat the oven to 200c. Place each chicken breast under some plastic wrap and bash out with a rolling pin or mallet until around 3-5mm thick. Season each breast with sea salt and black pepper. Divide the duxelle mixture in half and spread each half over the inside of the chicken breast – covering entirely. Sprinkle 1tbsp grated parmesan over the duxelle.

3) Roll the chicken breasts up tightly and place each in a large square of kitchen foil. Roll the kitchen foil tightly around the chicken and twist both ends until tight. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes until cooked through.

4) Meanwhile, heat the cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Crumble the blue cheese into the cream and simmer for 3-5 minutes until thickened slightly. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and keep warm.

5) Once cooked, remove the chicken breast from the foil. Slice in half and serve with the blue cheese sauce and accompaniments.

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Enjoy!

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Blue Cheese and Pear Tart

 
This is a variation of my Goats Cheese Tart. Increasing the amount of blue cheese, cutting back a little on the goats cheese and giving it a good drizzle of heather honey makes for a deliciously rich tart – perfect for the weekend.

Caramelised white onions impart all the sweetness of red onions but without the richness whilst a good amount of fresh thyme and black pepper makes this tart beautifully aromatic.

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Blue Cheese and Pear Tart
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
300g Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
4 White Onions (Sliced)
25g Unsalted Butter
50g Mild Goats Cheese
200g Blue Cheese
1 Ripe Pear (Thinly Sliced)
Small Handful Thyme Sprigs
Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Heather Honey
1 Egg Yolk (Beaten)

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Method:

1) Make the caramelised onions: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for around 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramelised.

2) Pre-heat the oven to 210C. Lay the pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet. Score a line 1cm from the edge of the pastry all of the way around – being careful not break through the pastry. Prick the pastry inside of the line with a fork.

3) Spread the caramelised onions evenly over the base inside the scored line. Crumble the goats cheese and Stilton evenly over the onions. Top with the sliced pear and thyme and season generously with black pepper. Egg wash the outside of the pastry around the filling. Place in the oven and cook for around 20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and the cheese browned.

4) Just before serving, drizzle the honey over the tart and cut into equal slices.

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Enjoy!

Goats Cheese Tart

 
If you are looking for a delicious, simple starter to serve to friends, this is the recipe for you. Creamy goats cheese and mild Stilton make a fantastic base for this tart, their saltiness countering the sweet caramelised red onions perfectly. Great served with a peppery watercress salad and air-dried ham.

Serve it in the middle of the table and let everyone tuck in – they will not be disappointed!

 
Goats Cheese Tart
Serves 6 as a Starter, 3 as a Main

Ingredients:
300g Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
3 Red Onions (Sliced)
25g Unsalted Butter
Mild Goats Cheese (A Thick Wedge)
75g Mild Stilton
2 Pears (Thinly Sliced)
Handful Thyme Sprigs
Black Pepper
Juice 1/2 Lemon
1 Egg Yolk (Beaten)

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Method:

1) Make the caramelised red onions: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for around 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramelised.

2) Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Lay the pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet. Score a line 1cm from the edge of the pastry all of the way around – being careful not break through the pastry. Prick the pastry inside of the line with a fork.

3) Spread the caramelised onions evenly over the base inside the scored line. Crumble the goats cheese and Stilton evenly over the onions. Top with the sliced pear and thyme and season generously with black pepper. Egg wash the outside of the pastry around the filling. Place in the oven and cook for around 20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and the cheese browned.

4) Just before serving, drizzle the lemon juice over the tart and cut into equal slices.

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Enjoy!

STILTON GALETTE

 

 

 

 

My mother presented this dish to me tonight and I couldn’t get enough! So much so I thought I would share it with you. It is surprisingly light and as stilton and pear is a classic combination this will surely be a winner with any guests. I was served the galette as a starter; however, it would make a great side dish or main meal for two. I think I will try making a bigger one and serve it in the middle of the table for all to tuck in!

This recipe would work equally well with any type of medium/strong cheese or whatever you have in the fridge. Strong mature cheddar and some caramalised white onions would be delicious. You can make the galette a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge – great for a dinner party.

(Please ignore the ‘caramalised’ edges – I trimmed them off!)

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Stilton Galette

(Serves 4 as a starter)

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Ingredients:

5 Medium Waxy Potatoes (peeled and soaked in water to remove starch)

1 1/2 Firm Pears (peeled and cubed small)

150g Blue Stilton (or other strong cheese)

Cracked Black Pepper

Olive Oil

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Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Thinly slice the peeled potatoes (much easier if you use a mandolin or the slicer attachment on your food processor).

Step 2: Line a baking tray with silicon paper or use silicon baking mats. Overlap the sliced potato to create 4 rectangles. Sprinkle the cubed pear on to the potatoes. Crumble the stilton over the potatoes ensuring you keep it to the centre to stop it from ‘spilling’ out.

Step 3: Brush the edges of the potatoes with a little olive oil to help them crisp. Season the galettes with cracked black pepper.

Step 4: Place the galettes in the pre-heated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and the potatoes are cooked.

Great served with a small salad dressed with olive oil and lemon and some sliced pear.

Enjoy!