Hay Smoked Chicken

Jp McMahon cooks chicken smoked with spruce needles accompanied with black pudding and foraged sorrel and dandelions.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• Handful of hay (available in pet shops)
• Handful of pine needles (you can use rosemary instead)
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 log good quality black pudding, diced
• 6 chicken hearts, cleaned
• 30ml apple syrup
• Wild herbs (wood sorrel, dandelion)
• Rapeseed oil
• Butter
• Sea salt

Method:

1. To make the pine salt: place some sea salt and pine needles in a food processor and blend. Pass through a sieve to remove any large debris.
2. Season the chicken breast with pine salt and allow to stand at room temperature for 30 mins. Place the hay in a smoking box and smoke the chicken for 15 minutes or until the core temperature is 65°C.
3. For the cauliflower: remove 6-8 nice florets from the cauliflower. Braise (head down) in some warm butter on a low-medium heat. Cover with some greaseproof paper so as the steam will help cook the cauliflower.
4. For the hearts and black pudding: season the hearts and fry in a little oil for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to rest. Fry the diced pudding in the same pan until it achieve a nice colour. Slice the hearts and place back in pan. Toss together and add a little butter and the apple syrup.
5. To serve: place the hearts and pudding in the centre of the plate. Arrange the cauliflower around this and place the sliced breast on top. Decorate with the wild herbs. Spoon some of the sauce from the hearts and pudding around the dish.