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In my previous post, I went on an adventure in the Scottish countryside looking for an elusive cave hideout of Rob Roy MacGregor. Rob Roy was a rebel, outlaw, and Jacobite supporter during the early 1700s. With a price on his head for banditry and treason, old Rob spent years on the run hiding out in a series of caves in the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs area of Scotland. The romanticized folklore that emerged from Rob Roy’s tales turned him into a folk hero. Not only was he an inspiration in literature, Rob Roy was an inspiration to both local cuisine and cocktails.
Mild disclaimer: this post is probably not the best for vegetarians or vegans,
as it has quite a “significant [amount] meat”.
Life in the time of covid requires a certain level of self amusement, that which my friend and I are rarely short of. Following our hunt for Rob Roy’s cave near Loch Ard, she casually mentioned, “We should get a Rob Roy Chicken sometime.” Woah, woah, woah… no one told me he had a chicken!
Table of Contents
1. Introducing the Rob Roy Chicken
Ok, so that was a little misleading, but amusing. While I’m sure Rob Roy may have owned chickens at one point in his pre-outlaw days, this is in fact not what I am referring to.
A turducken is a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a boneless turkey.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Rob Roy Chicken is a turducken-like meat dish. Similar to the turducken, the Rob Roy Chicken comprises of three layers of meat. And it is a hearty dish! Haggis stuffed into a chicken breast, then wrapped in two pieces of back bacon. Broken down by animal, it is sheep offals (haggis), wrapped in chicken, wrapped in pork (bacon). So, while this post is not intended for vegans, vegetarians, or the faint of heart, the Rob Roy Chicken is similarly not intended for people who don’t just absolutely love meat. And me? Guilty, as charged.
One of my favorite highlights of living in Scotland are the local butchers. In a village, they are the source for deliciously fresh cuts of meat. But also, they continuously supply me with local Scottish delights, such as amazing haggis or black pudding.
For my friend’s birthday, she decided on the Rob Roy Chicken for her birthday dinner. When we walked into the butcher shop, maintaining a socially responsible distance from the counter, we asked the butcher if we should buy one or two Rob Roy Chickens. And in case he didn’t know, it should feed the both of us. His response was, “I can easily eat one by myself.” We both looked at each other… two it is.
Your burning Rob Roy Chicken questions answered
- How did we cook it? Wrapped in aluminum foil, in the oven.
- How long did we cook it for? Well, 180ยฐC / approx 360ยฐF… maybe 20 – 40 minutes. Unfortunately, we hit a snafu and the oven shut off half-way through. Therefore, I can only give you a guestimate.
- Was the whisky cream sauce necessary? Yes. We made the sauce, initially fearing the chicken would turn out dry. However, with bacon juices seeping into the chicken, that may not have been the case. Trust me though, the sauce was great!
- Was it an extremely heavy meal? YES.
- Was it absolutely delicious? ABSOLUTELY YES.
- Would we eat it again? OF COURSE.
And now, for your drink pairing…
2. The Rob Roy Cocktail
Created in 1894, by a bartender at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan and obviously named in honor of the outlaw rebel that we now all know and love, Rob Roy continues to delight people to this day. Why was the cocktail created? For the New York opening of the Rob Roy operetta, of course! (Composed by Reginald De Koven and lyrics by Harry B. Smith). In case you’re wondering, New York Times review called it, “a thoroughly good operetta … clean, frank, manly, bright, and winsome … a right good comedy”.
For this section, I would like to introduce you to Kevin from Cocktails and Carry-Onsยฎ, who enthusiastically answered my call on Twitter to make this cocktail pairing for my post.
๐ฅ๐ธ๐น๐ฅ๐ธ๐น pic.twitter.com/spNKAil9pA
โ Kevin | Cocktails and Carry-Onsยฎ (@CocktailCarryOn) April 19, 2020
Thank you for this fun collaboration!
Without further ado…
Introducing Cocktails and Carry-Onsยฎ
While quarantined in our Swiss apartment for the past forty days, we have been testing out classic cocktails and firming up our ‘house recipes.’ As we make our way through familiar classics, we have been eager to learn about a few more of which we are less familiar.
When Lannie’s Food & Travel mentioned an upcoming article on Rob Roy, we were thrilled to participate in the fun! Lovers of a classic Manhattan or Old Fashioned are assured to enjoy this delicious cocktail!
The Usual Recipe
- 2oz / 60ml Scotch
- 1oz / 30ml Sweet Vermouth
- 2-3 dash Angostura Bitters
- Cherry, for garnish
Cocktails and Carry-Onsยฎ Recipe
- 2oz / 60ml Aberfeldy 16yr Single Malt Scotch
- 3/4oz / 22ml Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
- 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 2 Cherries, for garnish
Preparation: Add scotch, sweet vermouth, and bitters over a large ice cube in a mixing glass and stir for 20 seconds or until very cold. Strain with a Hawthorne strainer into a cocktail glass and garnish with cherries.
Enjoy and Drink Responsibly.
Parting Thoughts
Hope you enjoyed my dinner and drink pairing for this outlaw adventure. Life in the time of corona can be strange, but themed dinners may be one way of having a little fun in life! For anyone looking for some at-home cocktails to add to their own themed night, Nio Cocktails have the best ones! I always keep a few around, just in case I want a little cocktail!
Until next time, stay safe and cheers!
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Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.ย She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!ย She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.
Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!
I had to wrap my head around “turducken”. It sounds complex and I don’t know if its also complex when you cook it. Rob Roy’s version looks delicious. I don’t think I can eat it but my hubby would.
I’ll just go straight to the cocktail ๐
Hey Jane! I’m guessing the turducken didn’t make it up north to Canada, eh? ๐ I’ve never done one in the US, but this Rob Roy chicken was simple to cook (if your oven didn’t turn off accidentally, half way through) ๐
I hear the cocktail is especially delicious, so let me know if you do try it! Cheers!
Hi Lannie!
I am new for your your blog. I found you in Twitter and i very glad to be reached here on your blog. This is really fantastic for those enthusiasts. Wine, Cock Tails etc are the real culture of developed countries ..
Hi Dilu, thank you for reading my blog. I’m happy to hear that you enjoy it!
I stayed away from haggis until now but I would try it in this Rob Roy. That cocktail has an alluring color too ๐
I think it’s perfectly normal to shy away from haggis. But if people did a blind tasting of it, I (almost) guarantee they’d like it! ๐
The color of the cocktail is absolutely gorgeous ๐
Your trip in the Scottish countryside looks charming. We have had turducken before. But I am still not sure about having haggis stuffed in my chicken. I certainly did not know the history of the Rob Roy drink. Nor that it was named in honour of an outlaw! Cocktail tasting is certainly a great way to while away the hours of quarantine!
Have you tried haggis before? If you’ve liked a turducken in the past, surely 3 different kinds of meats would be right up your alley? ๐ Totally agree on cocktails in lockdown. Cheers to you, Linda!
You do like your meat even more than I do, Lannie!! And I love me my meat haha.. The chicken recipe sounds quite unusual to someone like me who has never heard of turducken, but hey, I’d be game for that I think. ๐
I think cocktails with a long history and outlaws with an impact on culture are very cool.