(Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
February 05, 2025
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
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In Scotland, chicken Balmoral is a dish often served in high-end restaurants. It is a chicken breast stuffed with haggis, wrapped in bacon and accompanied by Scotch whisky cream sauce. I can’t find any history on this dish, so I suspect that it is a modern creation – someone probably had too much leftover haggis after Burns Night and was probably tired of eating it plain.
No one makes haggis for the sake of making chicken Balmoral – it is way too much work. But if you have leftovers from Burns Night, as I did, this is a nice recipe to finish off the rest of your “pudding.” Or, you can buy canned haggis. I’ve never tried it, but have heard good things. Grant’s seems to be a popular brand.
I had this dish on two occasions while I was in the Highlands . The first was made with chicken at the Moorfield House Hotel in Braemar, and the second was prepared with guinea fowl at Culloden House near Inverness. Both dishes were delicious, but the guinea fowl gave me the idea to make this dish with pheasant. Also, if you like haggis already, this is a good way to introduce others to Scotland’s national dish.
You’ll need pheasant breasts that are on the larger side for this recipe. Small breasts may be difficult to stuff.
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(Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Servings: 4Prep time: 15 MinutesCook time: 15-25 Minutes
Ingredients:
4 large pheasant breasts or small chicken breasts 1 cup of venison haggis or canned haggis* 12 slices of prosciutto Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon of olive oil 2 tablespoons of butter 1 shallot, minced 1 shot of single malt Scotch whisky 1 teaspoon of coarse ground mustard ½ cup of beef/game stock ¼ cup of heavy cream See my recipe for venison haggis. Or buy canned haggis, which is available online, including Amazon. Directions:
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. With a sharp knife, butterfly the pheasant breasts to form a pocket in each. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Take a small handful of haggis and form it into a log, and then stuff it into the pheasant breast; repeat with the others. Do not overstuff the breasts—1 cup is an estimate. Neatly and snugly as possible, wrap each breast with 2-3 slices of prosciutto. Brush each pheasant Balmoral with olive oil and lay on a baking sheet, giving each space. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 155 degrees Fahrenheit. If making this recipe with chicken, the internal temperature should reach at least 165 degrees. While the pheasant is baking, make the Scotch whisky cream sauce: In a sauce pan, add butter over medium heat and sauté shallots until soft. Add whisky and stir, allowing whisky to reduce nearly completely. Add the stock and mustard, and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and simmer until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice each Balmoral pheasant into medallions and serve with the whisky cream sauce. Traditional sides are mashed rutabagas and mashed potatoes.