Basmati Pilaf with a fun festive twist

INGREDIENTS: 450g of basmati rice 2 shallots, finely diced 600ml of chicken stock 10g of pistachio nuts, peeled 20g of dried cranberries 5g of fresh thyme, picked Salt

To serve: 6 turkey breast steaks 1 knob of butter Parsley cress

Begin by washing the rice for the pilaf. Soak the basmati in cold water for 5 minutes, then carefully drain the water away. Add more water and swirl the rice around the bowl to rinse, then drain and repeat a further few times. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. For the pilaf, melt the butter in an oven-proof pan and gently sweat the shallots until tender. Add the pistachios, dried cranberries and thyme to the pan and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the rice and stir until the grains are coated in butter. Pour the stock over the rice and mix well, then increase to a high heat and bring to the boil. Add a pinch of salt to the pan and cover with a tightlyfitting lid, then transfer to the oven for 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove the pilaf from the oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes without removing the lid. Meanwhile, prepare the turkey steaks. Place a griddle pan over a high heat and add a little oil. Pan-fry for 2 minutes on each side, then add the butter to the pan and baste for a minute or two to finish. Leave the steaks to rest for 2 minutes, reheating in the oven at 200ºC. To serve, use a fork to fluff up the pilaf and spoon a generous serving on to each plate. Slice the turkey steaks into even pieces and arrange on top of the rice. Garnish with parsley cress and serve immediately.