Baked Turkey and Pumpkin

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you bake turkey with pumpkin in the oven? Start by gathering your ingredients. You can use any turkey meat — breast or thigh. I used a small breast fillet. Cut the cold butter into small cubes. If your kitchen is warm, keep the butter in the fridge until you need it so it doesn't melt.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel and seed the pumpkin and cut it into medium pieces. Any variety of pumpkin works here.

3. Step 3:

   

   Break the head of garlic into individual cloves and peel each one.

4. Step 4:

   

   Rinse the turkey fillet thoroughly and pat it dry. Cut the meat into medium pieces.

5. Step 5:

   

   Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add the turkey. Sear the pieces over high heat, stirring now and then, until golden brown. High heat is key — it seals the juices inside the meat. Over lower heat the meat releases its juices instead, and searing turns into stewing. If the oil starts to spatter, cover the pan with a lid.

6. Step 6:

   

   Put the pumpkin pieces in a baking dish. There's no need to grease the dish. Lightly season the pumpkin with salt and pepper and dot the cold butter cubes over the top. If the pumpkin is dense and firm, put the dish in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes first. My pumpkin was young, so I skipped the pre-bake — otherwise it would have cooked down completely into a purée.

7. Step 7:

   

   Spread the seared turkey over the pumpkin. Scatter the garlic cloves over the turkey.

8. Step 8:

   

   Season everything with salt and pepper and sprinkle with herbes de Provence. If you like, lay a few sprigs of fresh thyme on top. Put the turkey and pumpkin in the oven, still at 350°F (180°C), and bake for about 30 minutes. For a juicier result, you can cover the dish with foil.

9. Step 9:

   

   If you added fresh thyme sprigs, take them out — they've already given the dish their aroma. Divide the finished turkey and pumpkin among plates and serve. Enjoy!