Chicken, Haggis, and a Royal Name

Balmoral Chicken is one of those dishes that sounds far fancier than it actually is to make. A chicken breast stuffed with haggis, wrapped in bacon, and finished with a whisky cream sauce. That's it. But the result is something that genuinely earns its place on a dinner table, whether it's Burns Night, St Andrew's Day, or just a Thursday when you fancy something a bit more interesting than pasta.

The name comes from Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family's Scottish estate in Aberdeenshire. Nobody seems to know exactly who invented the dish or when, but it started appearing on pub menus and hotel dining rooms across Scotland sometime in the latter half of the 20th century. It's the kind of recipe that feels like it was dreamt up by a chef who wanted to make haggis more approachable for guests who might be a little hesitant about the real thing. Tucked inside a chicken breast and hidden under bacon, the haggis loses none of its flavour but gains a certain respectability that wins over the sceptics every time.

Getting It Right

The key is not overstuffing the chicken. You want enough haggis to be noticeable in every bite, but the breast needs to close back around it properly so the whole thing holds together when you wrap it in bacon. Around 35-40g per breast is the right amount depending on size. A large breast can take a little more; a smaller one will push the filling out if you're too generous.

Use smoked streaky bacon rather than back bacon. Back bacon is too thick and won't wrap neatly or crisp up the same way. The fat in streaky bacon bastes the chicken as it cooks, which keeps things moist through the oven time. Give the wrapped breasts a couple of minutes in a hot pan before they go in, seam-side down first. This sets the bacon and stops it unravelling during roasting. You don't need much oil; the bacon takes care of itself.

A meat thermometer is worth using here. Push it through the thickest part of the chicken all the way into the haggis centre and look for 74°C. It takes the guesswork out of it completely.

What to Serve With It

Mashed neeps and tatties is the natural choice and it works brilliantly. Mash the turnip and potato separately if you can, keeping the turnip quite loose with a good knob of butter, and the potato firmer and fluffier. The whisky cream sauce in this recipe is built in rather than an afterthought; don't skip it. Slice each chicken breast in half on the diagonal before plating so the haggis shows through the centre. That cross-section is half the appeal of the dish.

Ingredients

• 4 large chicken breasts (around 200-220g each)
• 150g haggis (shop-bought is fine; Macsween or Simon Howie both work well)
• 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
• 1 tsp vegetable oil, for frying
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 15g unsalted butter
• 60ml Scotch whisky
• 200ml double cream
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard (optional, adds depth to the sauce)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season the sauce

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). If your haggis needs cooking first, ask your butcher to confirm. Most shop-bought haggis such as Macsween is pre-cooked and can be used straight from the packet. If yours needs cooking, do that now and allow it to cool before stuffing.
2. Place each chicken breast flat on a chopping board. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep pocket into the thickest side of the breast, slicing horizontally almost all the way through but leaving around 1.5cm uncut on the opposite side. Open the pocket gently with your fingers without tearing the sides.
   
3. Divide the haggis into four equal portions of roughly 35-40g each. Press a portion firmly into the pocket of each chicken breast, shaping it so it sits centrally. Do not overfill. The breast should fold back closed around the haggis without bulging at the seam. Press the edges together firmly with your fingers.
   
4. Lay two rashers of smoked streaky bacon slightly overlapping on your board. Place a stuffed chicken breast at one end, seam-side down, and roll it tightly in the bacon so the seam is fully covered and the ends of the bacon tuck underneath the breast. Repeat with the remaining three breasts. If the bacon refuses to stay put, secure with a cocktail stick.
   
5. Heat the vegetable oil in an oven-safe frying pan over a medium-high heat. Place the bacon-wrapped chicken breasts seam-side down first and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bacon is golden and beginning to crisp. Turn and colour the other sides briefly, around 1 minute per side. You are not cooking the chicken through at this stage, just setting the bacon so it holds its shape in the oven.
   
6. Transfer the pan directly to the preheated oven, or move the chicken to a lightly oiled roasting tray. Roast for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the breasts. To check doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, pushing it through to the haggis centre. It should read 74°C. If you do not have a thermometer, pierce with a skewer and check that the juices run completely clear with no trace of pink.
   
7. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest on a warm plate loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes while you make the sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat and gently soften the shallot for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Pour in the Scotch whisky and let it bubble for about a minute until most of the alcohol has cooked off. Add the double cream and the wholegrain mustard if using, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
8. To serve, slice each rested chicken breast cleanly in half on the diagonal so the haggis filling is visible in the centre. Plate with mashed neeps and tatties or your choice of sides and pour the whisky cream sauce generously over the top.