Altenburg, Germany (dpa) – Saffron is one of the most costly condiments there are due to the cumbersome harvesting process. The threads need to be plucked by hand from the opened flower and dried. For one kilogram of saffron, up to 200,000 blossoms have to be harvested. Thomas Büchner, head chef at a four-star hotel in central Germany, where saffron is also grown, has a fitting recipe to showcase this precious ingredient: corn-fed chicken breast with cauliflower and a saffron-cardamom sauce served with potato-almond cakes. Ingredients for four servings: 4 corn-fed chicken breasts, 200 g each (for festive occasions: duck breast as an alternative) 1 head of cauliflower 250 g butter 20 ml lemon juice 100 ml vegetable stock 1 whole egg 4 egg yolks About 25 saffron threads A pinch of cardamom Salt and pepper Method: Take the meat out of the fridge one to two hours in advance. Place the chicken breasts skin side down in a cold pan and cook slowly until the skin is crisp, then turn and fry for a further two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 140 C (fan) and finish cooking the chicken breasts for about 15 minutes. Cut the cauliflower into small pieces and cook until tender, to taste. Soak the vegetable stock with the saffron and cardamom and leave to infuse overnight in the fridge. Gently warm the butter in a saucepan together with the infused stock and the lemon juice. Whisk in the egg yolks and the whole egg, season with salt and pepper. Pass the mixture through a sieve, then whisk over a bain-marie until foamy, but not for too long. As a side, the chef recommends mashed potatoes, croquettes or (a little more refined) potato-almond cakes. For the potato-almond cakes you will need: 4 large floury potatoes 1 egg yolk 1 shallot 2–3 tbsp flaked almonds 2 tbsp chopped parsley 2 cubes of butter, about 2–3 cm per side 1 tbsp cornflour Salt, pepper and a little flour Method: Boil the potatoes in their skins until done, allow to cool slightly, then peel. Sweat the shallot in a little butter over low heat until translucent, then mix in the parsley. Toast the almonds lightly in a pan or in the oven until golden. Press the potatoes through a ricer while they are still lukewarm, or mash thoroughly with a masher or fork until smooth. Mix well with the shallot, parsley and almonds, and the egg yolk. Season generously with salt and pepper, then bind with cornflour until you have a supple, non-sticky dough. Shape the dough into a log about 5 cm in diameter, dust lightly with flour and set aside in a cool place. Slice into 1–2 cm thick rounds and fry on each side in a little butter for about two minutes until golden brown. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn ouv yyzz n1 xlt cwg lue
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