Update2026:

I first created this recipe for my newspaper column in the Sunday Mercury.   Then later on I re-published the recipe here on my blog in 2015. From time to time friends would ask me when I was going to make a Youtube version of this favourite recipe?

I have now added this to the bottom of this post so I hope you will check it out.   For readers that don’t know what black pudding is it is made from pigs blood and blood sausage is very popular in many countries.  Here in the UK a company called Fruit Pig is helping to keep the tradition alive. Black pudding rich in iron and also helps combat chronic fatique.

Ingredients (serves 2)
2x 230-gram chicken breasts (skin on)
8 grams tarragon
100 grams quality black pudding
4 large pitted prunes (approx 25 grams0
200 ml chicken stock
125 ml double cream (heavy cream)
1.5 teaspoon grain mustard
10 lightly toasted walnut halves
1 Tbsp olive oil

1. Remove the fillets from the chicken breasts & place between two pieces of cling film.

2. Use a rolling pin or meat hammer to gently bat out the fillets until they are at least double in size, set aside.

3. Trim off approximately 15 grams (½ oz) of meat from the sides of each breast, whilst keeping its original shape.

4. Roughly cut up the black pudding removing the skin and put the chunks into a food processor, add the prunes and puree until smooth.  Now add the chicken trimmings and in 2 ½ TBsp of cream,  mix for a further 2-3 minutes until smooth.

5. Remove the tarragon leaves from the branches and reserve 3/4 for the sauce.  Finely chop the remaining ¼ and stir into the black pudding stuffing, then season with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate the black pudding stuffing until needed.

6. Carefully cut a 10 cm (3.75 inches) pocket or flap along the longest side of each breast. The pocket should go in about 5cm, but try to keep your knife flat  (horizontal ) so that you don’t cut a hole in the breast.

7. Stuff each pocket with half of the mix (don’t worry if you have a little mix left you can always fry as a fritter alongside the breasts). Now place a flattened fillet over the stuffing then use the edges to seal it. Refrigerate the chicken breast for 30 minutes to allow them to “set” so they don’t open during cooking.

8. Mix 1 Tbsp of cold stock with the ½ teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch) and reserve. Bring the rest of the chicken to a simmer in a small saucepan and reduce by half. Add the rest cream to the stock along with the grain mustard and the reserved tarragon leaves. When the sauce returns to a low simmer, stir in the cornflour (cornstarch) and stir well until the  sauce thickens slightly.  Turn off the heat and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

9. Preheat the oven 190 C (gas mark 5). On the stove heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium high heat then add the olive oil. . Place the chicken breasts  skin side down and cook for 3-4  minutes, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper then turn and repeat, making sure both sides are brown before transfering the frying pan to the oven and cook for a further 6 minute or until cooked through and internal temperature is 75 C (167 F).

10. Whilst the chicken cooks in the oven toast the walnut halves lightly and reserve.

11. Allow the chicken breasts to rest on a warm plate, pour away some of the fat from the saute pan and then add the sauce to infuse with the chicken flavour.    Bring the sauce to a simmer and turn off the heat.

To Serve
Carefully slice each chicken breast in half and arrange on warm plates then pour some of the sauce around the plate and sprinkle with the walnuts.

Chef’s Tips
Any kind of green beans would go well with this dish and I like to boil a few diced baking potatoes with their skins on and a couple of garlic cloves in the water. Then drain well and mash with a little butter. You can use smaller chicken breasts if prefer 200 grams which is around 7 oz. Remember my chicken breasts are chicken supremes.

*It’s been pointed out to me that not everyone reading this will know what black pudding is so I am going to post a link below which will take readers to the free online encyclopaedia Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pudding

Update 2026: Here is my new youtube version of this favourite recipe.

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