Recipe

Grilled asparagus and pan-fried chicken breasts with verjuice and hazelnut dressing

As well as looking as pretty as a picture, this is unbelievably delicious. You can buy edible flowers from specialist food shops, or use flowers from your own garden.

  • 40 mins cooking
  • Serves 4
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Ingredients

Grilled asparagus and pan-fried chicken breasts with verjuice and hazelnut dressing
  • 2 bunches asparagus
  • extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • salt, flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless free-range chicken breasts with skin on
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 3 tablespoon white verjuice
  • 1/2 cup edible flower petals
  • 1/4 cup small mint leaves
  • 2 tablespoon snipped chives
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • 1 small cos lettuce, or inner part of an iceberg lettuce
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil and 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or use all extra virgin olive oil)
  • 1 tablespoon whole seed mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, skinned and chopped

Method

Grilled asparagus and pan-fried chicken breasts with verjuice and hazelnut dressing
  • 1
    Preheat oven to 200°C (fan forced).
  • 2
    Trim the ends off the asparagus and put them in a shallow ovenproof dish – like a Swiss roll tin – and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • 3
    Cook for about 20 minutes until the stems have coloured a little and the tips have caramelised. Alternatively, cook them on a barbecue grill or hot plate.
  • 4
    Remove any fat from the chicken breasts. Heat a medium-sized non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter. Once it is foaming, add chicken breasts, skin side down, and cook for about 7 minutes until a deep golden brown. Turn chicken breasts over and cook for 5 minutes, then pour in 2 tablespoons verjuice.
  • 5
    Immediately cover the pan with a lid. Lower heat and cook for 5-7 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then keep covered but off the heat.
  • 6
    Meanwhile prepare all the petals, herbs and lettuce leaves, picking them over, washing and drying where appropriate.
  • 7
    Whisk 1 tablespoon verjuice with hazelnut oil (if using) and extra virgin olive oil, mustard, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt and a little freshly ground black pepper.
  • 8
    Divide lettuce leaves, torn into smaller pieces if necessary, between four plates, then asparagus spears, halved if too long. Scatter with petals, flowers and herbs.
  • 9
    Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and slice. Tilt the pan and scoop off the fat from the juices, then bubble up the juices for a few minutes. Arrange chicken on plates and drizzle with the pan juices. Whisk the dressing and spoon over everything. Scatter with hazelnuts. Serve immediately.