Weekend Foodie: Creamy cheese and garlic chicken

Sat, 22 Mar, 2025 - 07:46

I’m a big fan of blue cheeses, not just for the cheeseboard, but also for using in cooking. They always add that extra something to a dish in terms of depth of flavour.

This comes from the ageing and encouragement of the blue mould which runs within the cheeses, which always gives a spicy hit to the taste.

We are blessed in Ireland to have access to a great choice of famous blue cheeses from around the world. In any good supermarket these days, you’ll find Stilton from the UK, Roquefort from France, and Gorgonzola from Italy, to name a few from abroad.

But of course we also have some great Irish blue cheeses and these compete on a world class level with anything produced in other countries.

For this dish, you can take your pick of your favourite. I used the famous Cashel Blue from County Tipperary.

Cashel Blue is one of my go-to cheeses for eating and cooking, because it always adds a special something to the dish.

For dessert, I’m finishing with a classic rhubarb crumble which just has that crisp edge of fruit flavour to counter the richness of the creamy chicken dish.

The oats and seeds topping, if you use it, adds that little bit of extra crunch to the classic crumble finish.

Serve this with custard, cream or ice cream.

CREAMY GARLIC CHICKEN WITH BLUE CHEESE

Ingredients (Serves 4)

3 fat cloves garlic, peeled
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
Knob of butter
100mls chicken stock
150mls cream
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
100g blue cheese of choice
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method

Crush the garlic and place on a chopping board. Rub to a paste using the flat side of a chopping knife or the back of a tablespoon.
Rub the chicken with garlic paste all over and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil and butter in a non-stick heavy-bottomed skillet pan and add the chicken fillets.
Cook over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
Add stock and bring to bubbling. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Add cream and cherry tomatoes and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Crumble the blue cheese over and scatter with parsley to finish.
Serve with fluffy mashed potatoes and greens of choice.

RHUBARB CRUMBLE

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Few sticks of fresh rhubarb (approx 450g), rinsed and in chunks
75g soft brown sugar
For the crumble:
150g self-raising flour
100g butter
50g soft brown sugar
2 tbsp porridge oats
Extra oats, soft brown sugar and mixed seeds (optional) for topping
Butter for dotting

A classic rhubarb crumble is always a crowd-pleaser.

Method

Place rhubarb in a pan with sugar and just enough cold water to cover.
Heat gently over low heat till just simmering and cook till rhubarb is tender but still in shape- about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on liquid levels. Remove from heat and pour into an ovenproof baking dish. Leave aside while making the topping.
Rub butter into flour until a crumb consistency is formed. Stir in sugar and oats.
Press the crumb topping over the rhubarb evenly.
Sprinkle with extra oats and seeds, if using, and a little extra brown sugar. Dot with butter.
Bake in a pre-heated oven, Gas 5 375F 190C (180C fan assisted) for about 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is hot.
Cool slightly before serving.

THE WEEKEND GARGLE

Although this dish has chicken as its main ingredient, the flavourings dictate that it needs a red wine to go with it. The full on tastes of the garlic and blue cheese will cope with a red which isn’t overpowering, but will partner this dish elegantly. The Merlot grape with its soft damson flavours does well with chicken dishes which have intense flavours like this. So I’m choosing Estevez Merlot Reserva from Chile. Reserva on the label of this wine means it has been aged for around six months, giving some good depth of flavour and lots of rich plum fruit and a little spice on the taste. It will handle the creamy sauce and tangy blue cheese topping very well. It also looks elegant on the table with its dark bottle and black labelling with striking gold trim. Find this wine at Aldi stores now, at just €8.49 a bottle - a real bargain for a great quality red wine.

RECEIPT

Mains

Chicken breast fillets 750g: €7.99

Garlic x 3 pce net: €1.05

Cream 250mls: €1.49

Cherry tomatoes 250g: €1.09

Cashel Blue 125g: €3.50

Fresh parsley pack: €1.19

Total: €16.31

Dessert

Rhubarb bunch: €3.00

Self raising flour 2kg: €2.55