Balmoral Chicken with Whiskey Sauce

Learn how to make an amazing dish that contains traditional Scottish ingredients. A guaranteed hit at dinner parties or to celebrate Scottish holidays, it’s a new twist on haggis that people may not have encountered before.

Shopping list

1 chicken breast per person

1 Haggis for three people (for generous servings), based on using Halls Haggis, check how big or small your serving of haggis is.

400 g of potatoes for 3 people

400g turnip / swede for every 3 people (for my American readers, I think they are called Rutabagers)

400g Carrots – cut into thick strips for 3 people.

(for the sauce)

2 tablespoons whiskey

2 tablespoons Dijon or whole grain mustard

100ml Double cream or Creme Fraiche

1/2 lemon (juice and peel)

5 tablespoons of milk (any kind)

It should be noted that these portions are huge to ensure that people who really like the constituent parts can get more, and those who cannot balance themselves with what they do like. You can adjust the portion sizes accordingly, but this is basically what we use for two adults and two children who are eagerly looking for seconds.

Balmoral chicken.

Chicken Balmoral is basically a butterfly cut of chicken breast and stuffed with Haggis. We found it easier to cook the chicken breast and haggis separately, and then use the haggis as a bed for the chicken. It is as simple as preparing and ordering the ingredients that compose it. I recommend cooking the chicken in a broth, topped with a cube of chicken oxo, as it makes it especially succulent. Haggis takes over an hour to cook, so cover the chicken in aluminum foil for up to 10 minutes before removing.

The vegetable

Cook potatoes and turnip / turnip until soft and can be pureed. Cook carrots until soft and hot, depending on your needs. Mash the potatoes and swedes (you can mix them together, it’s called ‘Clapshot’) and serve the carrots. I recommend that you use the chicken broth to cook the carrots, they taste incredible.

Whiskey sauce (long ago!)

2 tablespoons whiskey

2 tablespoons Dijon or whole grain mustard

100ml Double cream or Creme Fraiche

1/2 lemon (juice and peel)

5 tablespoons of milk (any kind)

To make the whiskey sauce, mix all the ingredients in a skillet and reduce to the desired thickness. As the cream cooks, the volume may increase slightly, but it will not curdle if you cook it and then add the whiskey. Add the lemon peels last and possibly sugar or salt to taste. You can use single malt or blended whiskey.

Putting it all together.

Place haggis on plate and flatten; place the chicken breast on top. Serve the mashed potatoes, carrots and turnips. Drizzle the whiskey sauce in generous tablespoons over the haggis and chicken.

Delivery to the guests.

A word about Haggis

If someone asks why you are eating haggis, feel free to remind them that it can be difficult to identify what is in most hot dogs that are sold commercially. Traditional haggis are made up of pieces of sheep that would otherwise go to waste; modern haggis may still contain some of the ingredients that are “traditional”. Mainly barley and oats. It is very tasty, it has a slightly spicy flavor and it is very worth it. It is also incredibly filling.