Recipe of the Month
Chicken & 7-UP
In the spirit of looking back which seems to be dominating this month's
Megabytes, we came across this funky and fabulous dish from a leading
Irish chef in an old Bridgestone Irish Food Guide.
So, what sort of chef would come up with a crazy, bubblegummy recipe for
7-Up with chicken? 7-Up?!
Well, how about the most garlanded chef in Irish history, none other
than Kevin Thornton, of Thornton's Restaurant in Dublin. Kevin has deservedly
won every gong imaginable for his food, and recently became the first
Irishman ever to win a second Michelin star.
But, if he can do the formal stuff, he can also do the funky stuff, as
this delirious recipe shows. Believe us: no one, but no one, will be able
to guess the mystery ingredient.
So, head out for a bottle of fizz to drink (we'll have a bottle of Henri
Goutourbe, our favourite bubbly at the moment) and a bottle of fizz for
cooking (the one in the green plastic bottle) and invite your friends
over: chicken with 7-Up is a pure blast.
Kevin Thornton's Chicken with a Sauce of 7-UP and Ginger
For two servings:
2 Breasts of Chicken
Olive Oil
Thyme
1 small piece of Root Ginger, finely diced
2 Shallots, diced
1 Clove of Garlic, crushed
175ml (6 fl oz) 7UP
300ml (1/2 pint) Chicken Stock
Garlic Chives 50ml (2 fl oz)
cream or yogurt
Salt & Pepper
Marinate the chicken for an hour in a little of the 7-UP and some olive
oil and thyme.
Heat an oven-proof frying pan. Add some olive oil and then slap in the
seasoned chicken. Turn when they begin to brown and sauté on the second
side, then place in a hot oven and cook for 10 mins.
Sauté the shallots and garlic in some more olive oil. Add the 7-UP and
boil to reduce by half. Add the stock and reduce by a half again. Taste
and season.
Add the finely diced ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken
from the oven.
Strain the sauce over the chicken and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add cream (or you can add yogurt, in which case remove the chicken and
allow the sauce to cool before adding the yogurt).
Garnish with garlic chives.
Kevin suggests a tagliatelle of vegetables is a good accompaniment to this dish.
Illustrations thanks to www.7up.com
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text © John & Sally McKenna
