Bacon Wrapped Chicken on Black Pudding with Peppercorn Sauce and Beetroot Salad

Blood sausage, blood pudding, or black pudding - as it is called here in the UK - are all essentially different names for the same product. The ingredients will vary significantly but all have one common principal ingredient and that is blood. Although the idea of eating such a concoction may sound off-putting to many people, black pudding is not only delicious but extremely versatile in the many ways in which it can be cooked and served. Whether you wish to enjoy it as part of a full fried breakfast, or as an accompaniment to chicken as in this recipe, black pudding is something that all who love sausages in particular should at least make the effort to try.

Ingredients per Serving

1 chicken breast fillet
2 large bacon rashers
2 3" slices of black pudding
Handful of fresh rocket
1 small cooked beetroot
2oz blue cheese (such as Stilton)
3 fl oz double (heavy) cream
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
Salt and pepper
Sunflower oil for frying

Method

Beetroot can be bought whole and precooked in vacuum packs from supermarkets. If you are cooking the beetroot, be aware that beetroot does take up to a couple of hours to cook from raw. The beetroot used in this recipe is not pickled, simply boiled in water.

Season the chicken breast and wrap it carefully in the bacon rashers. Place it on to a sheet of tinfoil and wrap the foil loosely to form a sealed tent. Place it on to a baking tray and in to an oven preheated to 400F/200C for twenty-five minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and set it aside to allow the chicken to rest while the rest of the ingredients are prepared. Add a little sunflower oil to a frying pan and fry the black pudding slices for about three minutes each side on a medium heat until cooked.

The black peppercorns should be cracked with a pestle and mortar but not ground to a powder. They should be added to a small saucepan with the cream and a little salt, which should be put on to a low heat to reach a simmer.

Lay the rocket leaves on the serving plate. Dice the beetroot and blue cheese and scatter over the rocket. Remove any remaining plastic rind from the black pudding and plate it next to the salad. The bacon wrapped chicken can now be unwrapped - careful of escaping steam - and sliced in half at a forty-five degree angle. Place half a piece of chicken on top of each black pudding slice.

When the cream and cracked peppercorns have reached a simmer, give one final, thorough stir, pour over the chicken and serve your meal(s) immediately.

Spice Roasted Turkey Breast with Rocket, Beetroot and Mozzarella Salad and Pan Roasted Potatoes

There are of course a lot of people who would never think of having turkey for dinner in the middle of February. It is widely perceived as being a dish for Christmas or Thanksgiving and eaten only at these times of year. Turkey is, however, available in most of our supermarkets all year round and makes a delicious, low fat dinner in a great many ways, at any time of year.

This recipe is for two people and uses a turkey breast fillet of just over a pound.

Ingredients

1 turkey breast fillet
3 large potatoes
Generous handful of fresh rocket leaves
Mozzarella ball of approx. 4oz
1 small cooked beetroot (bought vacuum packed - not pickled)
1 tsp hot chilli powder
Salt and black pepper

Method

The potatoes should be peeled and chopped in to chunks. They should be added to a pot of cold water and put on to a high heat until the water boils. The heat should then be reduced to a simmer for twenty minutes. The potatoes should be drained and added to cold water for a few minutes to cool. They should then be placed in a Tupperware dish and refrigerated while the remainder of the meal is prepared.

The chilli powder should be seasoned with salt and pepper and rubbed in to the turkey breast. This can be done a couple of hours in advance if desired. The turkey should then be wrapped in a loose foil package, placed in a baking tray and in to the oven, preheated to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6, for twenty-five minutes per pound.

The turkey should be removed from the oven and checks made to ensure it is fully cooked. Stick a fork or skewer in to the thickest part and check that the juices run clear. Refold the foil package and set aside to rest while the potatoes are pan roasted and the salad prepared.

The potatoes should be firstly dried in a clean tea towel. They should then be deep fried for six to eight minutes until crisp and golden.

While the potatoes are frying, the mozzarella and beetroot should be roughly diced and mixed with the rocket in a bowl.

The turkey should be sliced and plated along with the salad. The roasted potatoes should be drained on kitchen paper and added last of all.