A Grilled Turkey Sandwich and Fries - My Alternative to the KFC Chicken Double Down

I have to admit that all I know about the KFC Chicken Double Down is that which I have read in the online press. That is more than for any other reason that, to the best of my knowledge, the nearest KFC to where I am presently living is the one outside Glasgow Central Station and that would make it a very long journey just to sample some fast food! I must admit to having been surprised by the publicity generated simply by the launch of a fast food product but it at least gave me the idea for this grilled turkey sandwich, with homemade fries and garlic mushrooms. I decided to make it a turkey recipe as opposed to a chicken recipe, simply to make it a little bit different to most similar productions.

Ingredients (Per Person)

2 x 1/2lb turkey breast fillets
2 rashers of bacon
2oz low fat cheddar cheese (or other suitable hard cheese)
1 large potato
6 to 8 small button mushrooms
1 clove of garlic
Pinch of dried sage
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A little sunflower oil

Method

The first step in this recipe is to attend to the fries. The potato should be peeled, then sliced and chopped in to the shape of fries. Very importantly, the fries should then be dried as much as possible in kitchen towel before being submerged in the frier for around four minutes, until they show only the first signs of beginning to colour. They should then be removed from the fryer, drained on some more fresh kitchen towel and allowed to cool before being placed in a Tupperware container and refrigerated for at least half an hour.

I cooked the turkey breast fillets here on an indoor, standard kitchen grill. They would probably at least look better cooked on an outdoor grill but that is not always practical in Scotland in April! They should be lightly rubbed with sunflower oil on both sides and grilled for around four to five minutes each side, depending on their thickness. The bacon should be added to be grill for around a minute each side towards the end of the cooking time.

When the bacon has been added to the grill, the cold fries should be re-added to the fryer for their last two to three minutes of cooking time. The olive oil should then be added to a small saucepan and brought up to a medium heat before the peeled garlic clove is grated in to it and the sage also added. The closed cup mushrooms should be quartered and also added put in to the pan. Note that the mushrooms should be cooked for no more than a couple of minutes, as the idea is more to heat them through and flavour them with the oil and garlic than cook them in to mush.



When the turkey and bacon fillets and rashers are ready, they should be taken from the grill and the bacon rashers placed atop one of the turkey fillets. The cheese should then be grated and added on top of the bacon before the second turkey fillet is finally placed on as the top of the sandwich. The fries should then be well drained and added to the plate along with the garlic mushrooms for service.

Chicken Breasts Wrapped in Bacon with Garlic Mushrooms

Chicken is unquestionably a very versatile cooking ingredient. We can cook it in so many different ways and so many incredibly simple and healthy chicken recipes are also incredibly delicious. This easy recipe simply involves baking the chicken breasts wrapped in bacon and serving them with some equally simply prepared garlic mushrooms, on a bed of fresh rocket leaves.

Ingredients (Per person)

1 chicken breast fillet
2 slices of unsmoked bacon
8 small button mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp of dried sage
1 tbsp olive oil
Generous handful of fresh rocket leaves

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas mark 6. Place a large sheet of aluminium foil on a baking tray. Wrap the bacon slices carefully around the chicken breasts, encasing them as much as posssible and then lay them on the foil. Fold the foil to form a loose but sealed parcel.

Place the tray in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and check that the chicken is thoroughly cooked by sticking it with a fork or skewer and ensuring the juices run clear. Leave to rest while you prepare the mushrooms.

Gently heat the olive oil in a non-stick saucepan and add the garlic and the sage. After about a minute, add the mushrooms and stir well for a couple of minutes with a wooden spoon to evenly heat them through.

Add the rocket to each plate, sit the wrapped chicken breasts on top and surround with the mushrooms. I promise you that this will provide a very tasty dinner tonight or any night.

Roast Chicken Legs with Coriander Mash and Garlic Mushrooms

I love roast chicken but so often it is prepared ins such a way as to be incredibly unhealthy. This recipe is not only healthy but extremely simple, meaning that if you fancy having it for dinner tonight, there is not a lot of preparation time or work involved.

Ingredients (Per person)

3 raw chicken legs (skin on)
2 large maris piper potatoes (peeled and chopped)
2 tsp of freshly chopped coriander leaves (cilantro in US)
3 small closed cup mushrooms (halved downwards)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed or very finely chopped)
Pinch of dried sage
Salt
Knob of butter
Olive oil

Method

Preheat your oven and a metal baking tray or sheet to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Add a little olive oil to a large bowl or basin and season with salt. Add the chicken legs and stir well to ensure even coating in the oil. Place the chicken legs on the hot baking sheet and in to the oven for 35/40 minutes, turning half way through the alloted time. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest/cool.

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 25/30 minutes or until soft. Drain well, add the knob of butter and the coriander leaf and stir thoroughly.

Heat a little olive oil in a small saucepan and add the garlic, mushrooms and pinch of sage. Stir for a couple of minutes until heated through then plate up, serve and enjoy your meal.

N.B. If you are unable to obtain the Huntigout, three-legged breed of chicken common only to Scotland, two or four legged varieties may of course be used instead.