Nadia Lim’s Marsala Chicken with Caramelised Pumpkin

MasterChef New Zealand winner Nadia Lim shares her recipe for Marsala Chicken with Caramelised Pumpkin with us, from her new cookbook, Nadia’s Kitchen.

I prefer using chicken thighs for this dish as the result is always moist and juicy, compared with chicken breast. Marsala is a sweet cooking wine, but you could also use sherry, which will give a slightly different flavour. Caramelised pumpkin makes a delicious side — a touch of maple syrup brings out its natural sweetness. 

Serves 4–6

Caramelised Pumpkin

800–900g pumpkin, peeled and cut into wedges

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marsala Chicken

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

6–8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 onions, sliced

200–300g button mushrooms, quartered

¹⁄³ cup marsala

½ cup sour cream

½ cup thick Greek yoghurt

juice of 1 lemon

350g green beans, steamed to serve

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a roasting tray with baking paper.

Lay pumpkin pieces on prepared tray and drizzle over maple syrup and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat pumpkin well. Bake in oven for 45–50 minutes until pumpkin is soft and slightly caramelised.

For the chicken, combine garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and chicken in a bowl. Heat a large frypan and brown chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked. Season while in pan. Remove and set aside.

Lower heat and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to pan. Add onions and sauté until soft, 5–7 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add marsala and let it bubble before adding sour cream, yoghurt and lemon juice. Stir everything together, then return chicken to pan and simmer for a couple of minutes until hot through.

Serve with Caramelised Pumpkin and steamed green beans.