Turkey Escalopes with Squash & Rosemary Topping

This is an Autumnal healthy and fairly quick mid-week supper. Turkey meat often has the reputation of being bland and dry, however I strongly disagree; cooked with a little bit of care and with the right accompaniments, it can be a tasty alternative to chicken. In addition, turkey has a lower colesterol content and more calcium and protein than any other meat, so it's definitely worth including it regularly in your diet. For this recipe, I paired the pan fried turkey escalopes with some sweet squash, roasted with rosemary and then whizzed up to form a creamy topping.

INGREDIENTS (for two people)

• Two turkey breast fillets
• A large chunk of squash (about 300 gr)
• A sprig of fresh rosemary, or some dried rosemary
• A whole garlic clove (skin on)
• A tablespoon of double cream
• A glass of dry white wine
• Some plain flour
• Olive oil 
• Salt & pepper

Cut the squash in small cubes, transfer it to a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, tuck the rosemary sprig and the garlic clove in and roast for about 20 minutes at 180°C, or until caramelized. Transfer the squash in a food processor (squeeze the garlic clove out of its skin and include that in, too), pour in the cream and whizz everything up to a thick sauce. Taste to adjust the seasoning and reserve for later. 

Sandwich each turkey escalope between two sheets of cling film, then place them on a wooden board and bash them well with a meat hammer or a rolling pin, in order to tenderise them and flatten the meat. 

Heath a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Dust both side of each turkey escalope with flour, then pan fry them for about 4 minutes each side, or until cooked trough. 

When the escalopes are cooked, transfer them to a plate to rest for a few minutes, covered with tin foil to stay warm. In the meantime, deglaze the meat juices from the pan by pouring the white wine in and letting it bubble away until evaporated. Put the escalopes back in, switch the heat off and spread the squash topping over them. Put them under a hot grill for a couple of minutes to warm the topping through and then serve them immediately with a side dish of your choice - in my case, parsley potatoes.