The dish you see here is one I first made back in 1979, during
my first marriage. It was an easy, flavorful chicken recipe that suited busy
working couples perfectly—similar in spirit to the Company Chicken I've shared
here before. We enjoyed it three times that year, and then... it disappeared from
my kitchen for decades.
The story starts with a Christmas gift: a bottle
of Irish Mist liqueur. Neither of us knew much about it, so we turned to the
little recipe booklet tied around the neck and tried several ideas. Most were
forgettable (a bland cake comes to mind), but this chicken stood out. I'm not
sure what I loved more—the subtle, honeyed warmth it brought to the dish or how
effortless it was to prepare. Once the bottle was empty, we considered buying
another, only to discover the price was well beyond our young budget at the
time. So Irish Mist—and this chicken—faded into memory.
A few weeks ago, during one of those sleepless
nights when my mind wanders to food (does this happen to anyone else?), the
recipe popped into my head. A quick Google search turned up the original on
Cooks.com (listed as Irish Mist Chicken, though I remembered it as “Irish
Mist-ery” Chicken). To my surprise, Irish Mist is still produced and
available—I even snagged what seemed to be the last bottle at my local store.
I tweaked the recipe slightly based on what I had on hand, and
baking it brought back a rush of fond memories: youthful kitchen experiments,
simple pleasures, and the joy of rediscovering something long forgotten. The
result was every bit as comforting and delicious as I remembered.
If you're looking for an Irish-inspired dish for
St. Patrick’s Day that skips the usual corned beef, this retro chicken is worth
a try. It's low-effort, crowd-pleasing, and carries a touch of honeyed
nostalgia.
Irish Mist Chicken
4 slices Black Forest deli ham
2 whole boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
10 oz. can cream
of mushroom soup
2/3 c. sour cream
½ c. Irish Mist Honey Liqueur
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Arrange slices of ham in the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking dish
(I recommend this
one because it’s green and so perfect for St.
Patrick's Day). On each slice of ham, place a chicken breast half. Mix
remaining ingredients and spoon over chicken, covering completely. Bake,
uncovered, for 1½ hours. Serve over
wild rice.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
No comments:
Post a Comment