Fondue dippers: streaky bacon wrapped chicken with spinach, blanched vegetables and apples

0

Ingredients

  • 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach
  • Fondue with Apple Brandy:
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1 3/4 cups dry white wine
  • 6 slices good quality smoky bacon, halved across (recommended: Oscars from Warrensburg)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 12 chicken tenders
  • 3/4 pound Gruyere, shredded
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 pound Emmentaler, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup apple brandy
  • 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
  • 1 bunch radishes, trimmed
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 large red pepper, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick sticks
  • 1 bundle white or thin green asparagus, trimmed
  • 1 sack purple pearl onions or 1 jar pickled pearl onions, drained
  • 1 jar mini gherkins, drained
  • 1 bag pretzel rods
  • Whole-grain or seeded bread, diced for dipping
  • Fondue with Apple Brandy, recipe follows

Use imperial measurements

Method

How to make Fondue dippers: streaky bacon wrapped chicken with spinach, blanched vegetables and apples


1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/Gas 6.

2) Defrost spinach in microwave.

3)Drizzle a little oil on large plate and have a rack sitting on baking a sheet or slotted broiler pan nearby. Halve the bacon across and reserve on a meat-safe prep board. Halve the chicken tenders and slide into the dish with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and paprika. Wring out the spinach in a clean dish towel and put the spinach in a small dish. Top each piece of chicken with a little spinach and wrap with bacon. Arrange, seem side down, on the baking pan. Bake until golden and firm, 18 to 20 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, bring a few inches of salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Have a large bowl of ice water, for shocking the vegetables, ready as well. Add the radishes to the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute, then remove them and shock in ice water. Repeat with the pepper removing them with tongs or small strainer or spider. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes, then shock and reserve.

5) If using fresh onions, add last and cook for 3 minutes to loosen skins. Refresh them and use a towel to wipe away the skins.

6) Arrange the meat, vegetables and pretzels around a fondue pot and serve with cubed bread in a basket.

For the fondue:

1) Put the wine in a fondue pot and bring to a bubble over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the lemon juice, then add the cheeses in handfuls, stirring in a figure-8 motion with wooden spoon. When the cheese is fully melted, stir the cornflour into the brandy, in a small bowl until smooth, then add to cheese. Season with nutmeg and cayenne and serve over a warming station for your fondue pot.

Comments