Crispy chicken and haggis escalopes with whisky and chicken butter sauce recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (2024)

These tasty escalopes are served with a super creamy whisky sauce. Serve with greens

James Cochran

With a Caribbean and Scottish heritage, James Cochran is known for his bold, characterful flavours. A former Great British Menu champion of champions, James now presides over 1251, his highly acclaimed restaurant in north London

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Ingredients

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Step by step

1. Slice through the chicken breasts horizontally, cutting just three-quarters of the way through, then open out to butterfly them.
2. Place a butterflied chicken breast between 2 large sheets of baking paper and use a rolling pin to bash it to an even thickness; about 1cm. Set aside and repeat with the remaining fillets.
3. Divide the haggis into 6 and roll out between the layers of baking paper until each piece is around three-quarters of the size of a flattened chicken fillet. Press a piece of haggis on top of each chicken breast and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Put the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Coat each haggis-topped chicken breast in flour, egg and breadcrumbs in turn, pressing down well to ensure the breadcrumbs stick. Chill for 20-30 minutes, then coat the escalopes again in egg and breadcrumbs, pressing to make sure that each escalope is completely covered. Cover and chill while you make the butter sauce.
5. For the butter sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan and sweat the shallots, mushrooms, garlic and thyme with a pinch of salt over a low heat until soft; around 15 minutes. Add 250ml of the whisky, then increase the heat and reduce by three-quarters. Add the chicken stock and reduce by two-thirds. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine sieve and return to the saucepan.
6. To shallow fry the escalopes and finish cooking in the oven, pour about a third of the 125ml oil into a large frying pan – you want enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat until starting to shimmer, then add 2 crumbed escalopes (haggis-side down) and fry on a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden. Turn and fry for another 1-2 minutes – they won’t be fully cooked through at this stage. Transfer to a baking tray and repeat with the remaining escalopes, wiping out the pan and adding extra oil as needed. If prepping ahead, cool, then chill.
7. To deep fry just before serving, preheat the oven to 120°C, fan 100°C, gas 1⁄2, as a warming oven. Pour 1 litre of oil into a large, deep saucepan (to no more than half-full) and heat to 160°C (use a cooking thermometer or test with a few panko breadcrumbs – they will sizzle and turn golden brown in 40 seconds). Working 1 or 2 at a time, deep fry the coated escalopes for 6 minutes, carefully turning halfway, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper, season with flaky sea salt and keep warm on a baking tray in the oven while you fry the rest and finish your sauce.
8. To serve the previously shallow-fried escalopes, preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Bake the escalopes in the oven for 10 minutes (or 20-25 minutes from chilled, until piping hot) or until the juices run clear. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt just before serving.
9. Meanwhile, return the sauce to the heat. In a small bowl, blend the cornflour with a tablespoon of the sauce to make a paste, then add to the pan, bring the sauce to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter, a couple of pieces at a time, until glossy and slightly thicker. Add the remaining 75ml whisky and keep warm over a low heat if necessary. Season to taste and serve with the chicken, and some greens, if you like.