Cardamom and Honey Glazed Chicken with Pumpkin Couscous

Marinade
4 Tbsp runny honey
2 Tbsp Sherry
1 tsp cardamom seeds, ground
1 tsp peppercorns, ground

Chicken
6 Chicken breasts
Maldon sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
12 slices lemon

Pumpkin Couscous
350g butternut, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
½ cup currants
1½ cups instant couscous prepared with 1½ cups hot chicken stock or water
Knob of butter
½ tsp cinnamon
Maldon sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp chopped mint


Preheat oven to 200ºC. Prepare marinade by warming the honey and sherry gently then stir in the other ingredients. Allow to cool then add the chicken breasts. In a frypan heat a little olive oil over a medium-high heat and sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden. Remove the chicken from the pan, leaving the pan on the heat but reducing to low. Place the lemon slices in a shallow roasting pan and lay the chicken breasts on top. Brush with the marinade and place in the oven. Roast until golden and just cooked through, approximately 15 minutes, depending on size. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving

Pumpkin Couscous: Add the butternut to the frypan and sauté until tender, turning from time to time. When it is cooked, add the currants to warm through and season with salt and pepper. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the butter and cinnamon to the couscous, fluff couscous with a fork and fold through the butternut, currants, mint and a few of the lemon slices, chopped up. Adjust seasoning if needed. Toss to Dress.

To serve, pile the couscous on to a platter and lay the chicken breasts on top

from the kitchen of Steph