Friday, November 24, 2017

Irish Smoked Chicken

Yes, I know I just gave you a recipe for smoked chicken—the first I’d ever tried. Well, here am I am in Ireland, and what do I find? Smoked chicken—what was elegantly called a chicken crown (translation: just the white meat, neatly bundled and pretty).

I’m hoping to make a local version of a Thanksgiving feast, but with a tiny wonky oven (new one waiting to be installed!) and a small and still unfamiliar kitchen (and not a lot of turkeys to be found), I thought I’d go with simple—but the local version.

The recipe is informal (in other words, I made it up):

1 smoked chicken crown (serves two nicely, with leftovers for sandwiches)




3 cups cooked rice (I used a blend of basmati and wild rice, which could be considered a nod at America)




Chicken stock for cooking the rice

Gubbeen cheese



Smoked salt




Make the rice, using the stock to add flavor. 

When the rice is cooked, butter a casserole dish. Pat the chicken dry. Make a bed of rice for the chicken and lay the “crown” on it. Distribute the rest of the rice around the chicken.

Sprinkle a bit of salt over the whole (I was cautious about this because I wasn’t sure how salty the chicken would be).

Coarsely grate enough of the gubbeen cheese (a Cork specialty, mild in flavor and firm but creamy in texture—it also comes in a smoked variety, but I thought that would be overkill) to make up one cup. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and rice.

I added a pat of butter on top of the chicken because I was worried it might be dry.




Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C around here). Place the chicken in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is warmed through and the cheese has melted.




Easy and tasty! Give me a few more days (and that new oven) and I may produce something more complicated.




And the next new County Cork book (coming January 2018) is . . .


Many a Twist (Crooked Lane Books), the sixth in the series. A lot of changes coming, and a few surprises.

Find it on Amazon here!

3 comments:

  1. An uncomplicated recipe is always welcome in my kitchen so thank you for sharing this recipe for smoked chicken with rice. Chicken and rice are one of my favorite combinations!

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  2. Looks and sounds quite tasty.
    I'm envious of the basmati/wild rice combination. Basmati cooks quickly and wild rice takes a lot longer. How does this mix work?
    Now to find a smoked chicken breast!

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  3. Sounds yummy!! What wonderful things you have found there. Already pre-ordered the new release!! Cannot wait

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