'Two Quacks' - Day 28 of 100 Food Stories

Creamy Garlic Mushroom, Beer Can Chicken topped with buttery crumbs.

Second day on our Sandwich Trail, lunch will never be the same again.
Today I am creating sandwiches using chicken & duck. I am using ‘Beer Can Chicken’ but if you do not want to go to this much trouble, you can just use leftover chicken from a Sunday roast.

Sandwich number 1- Chicken.  
I promise it is worth doing this, the flavour is incredible and it keeps the chicken so moist. Also will give everyone a great laugh if they watch you doing it. When I was doing it my husband suggested I hadn't my full facilities about me. Did he change his mind when he tasted it?
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Preparing the chicken for cooking.

​Ingredients (to prepare chicken for cooking):
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs.
1 teaspoon salt.
1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
2 teaspoon onion granules.
2 teaspoon garlic granules.
2 teaspoon smoked paprika.
2 tablespoons harissa.
3 tablespoons olive oil.
1 can of Guinness.
1 large Chicken.

Carefully remove from the oven.

Cooking Method:

1. Remove the shelves from the oven & crank it up to 200.
2. Mix the herbs,spices, seasoning with the oil and rub all over the chicken. Make sure to wash your hands throughly after handling raw chicken.
3. Pour 100mls of beer into a roasting tray. Put the open, upright can containing the rest of the beer into the roasting tray and carefully squat the chicken over the top, pushing down until the chicken is able to stand up. 
4. Roast in the oven for 1 hour & 20 minutes. 
5. Carefully remove from the oven and using a carving fork remove the chicken from the can. Discard the can & the contents. Move the chicken onto a chopping board. ​

Creamy garlic mushroom sauce

Breadcrumb, lemon, parmesan and brie topping

......and enjoy.

Creamy Garlic Mushroom, Beer Can Chicken topped with buttery crumbs.
Sandwich Serves 2.


Ingredients:
8 mushrooms, sliced.
A good knob of butter.
2 cloves of garlic, peeled & finely chopped
Dash of cider or white wine.
A pinch of dried tarragon.
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
Salt & pepper.
A handful of chopped parsley.
50 mls of cream.
2 slices of sourdough, rubbed with 1 clove of garlic & a drizzle of olive oil.
4-6 slices of beer can chicken.
4 slices of Brie.
2 tablespoon Panko breadcrumbs.
 Grated Zest of 1/2 lemon.
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan.
4 little dots of butter.

Method.
1. Melt a good knob of butter in a pan & add sliced mushrooms , garlic,tarragon  & cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the mustard, cider or wine, & let it bubble for a minute.
3. Throw in the cream, parsley & season.
4. Toast the sourdough- place on a baking sheet.
5. Top with the sourdough with the mushrooms, next slices of beer can chicken, then the Brie. 
6. Mix the breadcrumbs with the lemon, Parmesan and press down into the Brie. 
7. Put 2 little dots of butter on each sourdough.
If you wish to serve straight away you can pop them under the grill until the crumbs start to brown. Be careful can burn very easily. If you prefer you can assemble them and when ready to serve pop them into the oven for 8-10 minutes.
                             ​

Grilled Duck Sandwich with blood oranges, pomegranates, roasted peanuts & pea shoots.

Sandwich number 2 - Duck

Grilled Duck Sandwich with blood oranges, pomegranates, roasted peanuts & pea shoots.
Serves 2


Ingredients:
2 Duck breasts.
1/2 teaspoon 5 Spice Powder.
2 slices of sourdough, rubbed with 1 clove of garlic & a drizzle of olive oil.
2 tablespoons creme fraiche.
1 teaspoon creamed horseradish.
2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced.
1 pomegranate, use seeds only.
A handful of chopped peanuts, not essential but gives a different texture.
Pea shoots, an amazing Irish produce, available in Lidi & other supermarkets.

Score the duck breast, season with 5 spice & place into a cold frying pan, skin side down.

​Method:

1. Score the duck breast, season with 5 spice & place into a cold frying pan, skin side down. Place on the hob on a high heat. Cook for 5 minutes like this  for 5 minutes, turn the heat down to medium and cook for a further 8 minutes. By this stage there should be a nice amount of glorious duck fat accumulating. Then flip the breast over & cook for 5 mins. Transfer to chopping board, cover with tinfoil & rest for 10 minutes. Save the duck fat from the pan for your ‘roasties’.
2. Put the creme fraiche in a bowl. Add the horseradish and any duck juices from the board.
3. Peel and slice the blood oranges. Cut the pomegranate in half, hold one half over a bowl of water and with the back of a knife aggressively tap the outer skin until the seeds start to fall out. Repeat with the other half, until all the seeds are in the bowl. Scoop out the seeds with your hands & pat dry on kitchen paper. ( if you don’t want all the drama of aggressively attacking a pomegranate, you can the seeds prepared in most supermarkets)
4. Lightly toast the sourdough toasts. Spread with the creme fraiche mix. Carve the rested duck into thin slices and briefly set aside.
5. Place the blood orange slices and pomegranate seeds on top. 
6. Carefully place the duck slices on top of this luscious combo.
7. Finish with pea shoots.