Irish Chicken Poseidon

Irish Cooking can also be found at The Petit Chef. 

                                                  Westport House                                                                                                                                                                        

June 19, 2009, 10:47 AM 

On a trip to County Mayo in the Province of Connacht on the west coast of Ireland, we stopped for lunch at a wonderful restaurant in Westport. We ordered an entrée called Chicken Poseidon. The description sounded wonderful, and none of us was disappointed. My family loves this entrée. I hope yours will enjoy it too. I found the basis for this recipe in an old Southern cookbook of my mother's and have altered it over the years to duplicate that dish served in County Mayo. There are many flavors and textures to this particular recipe, but I think they blend perfectly.

The county town of Mayo is Castlebar. Places of interest in Mayo include The Knock Shrine, a major pilgrimage site. Catholics believe that in 1879 there was an apparition of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, and Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. Mayo is also home to Croagh Patrick, a mountain where St. Patrick is said to have fasted for forty days and nights, although worship connected with the mountain is believed to have preceded the arrival of Christianity. Designed by the famous architects Richard Cassels and James Wyatt in the 18th century, Westport House is located west of the Shannon and is considered one of Ireland's most beautiful historic homes open to the public. Westport House is situated in a superb parkland setting with lake, terraces, gardens, and   magnificent views overlooking Clew Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, Achill, Clare Island, and Ireland's Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick.  

Colonel John Browne (1638-1711) built the original Westport House on the site of an O'Malley castle whose dungeons are still present today.  He married the pirate queen Grace O'Malley's great great granddaughter, Maude Burke. He was a Roman Catholic who fought on the Jacobite side in the War of the Two Kings. His descendants, however, converted to the established Church of Ireland and prospered. It is the stately home of Lord Altamont, the Marquess of Sligo. The current Marquess of Sligo is Jeremy Browne. He and his family still own and live in the country Park and have been responsible for its success as a commercial enterprise.

Westport House also has a Pirate Adventure Park with a Pirate Ship thrill ride, Pirates' Plunge flume ride, mini railway, white swan pedal boats, cannon-ball run slippery slide, Pirate's Den indoor play area, dungeons, Pirate's Playground, pitch and putt, fishing, Grace's Bar and Cafe and a large Caravan and Camping Park set in a secluded woodland.  It is a popular tourist attraction.

Chicken Poseidon  [Serves 4]

Ingredients:

4 6 oz. boneless chicken breasts
12 oz. of seafood stuffing, recipe below
Egg yolks and water for egg wash
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper for coating
Bread crumbs [I always used crushed saltines for more of a crunch.]
1 stick of butter 
Lemon chive sauce, recipe below

Seafood Stuffing:

Ingredients:

4 oz. of lump crab
4 oz. of shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 oz. of scallops
3 oz. of butter
Fresh lemon
Salt and pepper
Garlic clove, minced

Preparation:

Chop the seafood mixture into large chunks. Do not overchop as you want bits of seafood, not a pâté.  In a skillet, melt the butter and garlic until soft making sure to not darken the garlic as it will turn bitter. Add the seafood, salt and pepper, and juice from the fresh lemon. Cook for three minutes. Set aside.

Lemon Chive Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. of butter
2 Tbsp. of flour
1 cup of heated milk
1/3 cup of heavy cream
Salt and white pepper
3 tbsp. of  white wine
3 tsp. of chopped  fresh chive
1/4 cup of grated romano cheese
4 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped

Preparation: 

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shrimp and cook for two minutes. Set aside. If the shrimp soaked up too much butter, you may need to add another tablesppon of butter to the pan before adding the flour. Add the flour to the butter and stir until the mixture is well-blended. Gradually stir in the hot milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to boil and thickens. Simmer, stirring frequently, over very low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in cream, wine, and cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and chive. Makes about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of lemon chive white sauce.  Add the shrimp for flavor and texture.

Final Preparation:

Flatten each each breast until quite thin. Stuff each breast with 1/4 of the seafood mixture and roll into logs. . Roll each stuffed breast into the seasoned flour; then dip each into the egg wash, and roll into the bread crumbs. You may wish to cut the ends of each breast to make into rectangles or leave for a more rustic look. Melt the butter in a sauté pan and fry each chicken breast until golden brown. Set each breast on a sprayed baking sheet. Cook in a preheated 375° oven for 15 or 20 minutes. Ladle the cream sauce over the breast. Top with more fresh chive for garnish. Enjoy.