Chicken Breast with Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients

• 1 untreated lemon
• 600 g Chicken breast fillet
• 3 tbsp elderflower syrup
• 6 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 100 g parsnip
• 700 g pumpkin flesh (e.g., butternut or Hokkaido)
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• nutmeg

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the lemon, pat dry, grate the zest and squeeze out the juice. In a bowl combine the lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, elderflower syrup, 4 tsp oil, sprigs of thyme, salt and pepper. Rinse the chicken fillets, pat dry and coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

2. 2.

   Peel the parsnip and cut it together with the pumpkin flesh into ~1 cm cubes; place in a steamer basket. Steam over hot water vapor for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. In a saucepan heat the cream with the butter. Press the pumpkin and parsnip through a potato masher, add to the sauce and mix well. Season the puree with salt, cayenne pepper and nutmeg.

3. 3.

   Preheat the oven to 120°C fan. Quickly sear the chicken breasts in the remaining hot oil in a pan on both sides, then remove and finish cooking in the oven for about 10–15 minutes until juicy. Brush occasionally with the marinade while baking.

4. 4.

   Slice the cooked chicken fillets into strips and arrange on plates with a dollop of pumpkin cream. Serve alongside, for example, parmesan potatoes and beans.