Oven Roasted Chicken Breast with Celery Root Puree and Chestnut Pesto

Directions

1. Make the puree: Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the quartered celery roots and boil for 20 minutes. Remove the celery root to a blender, reserving the boiling stock. Immediately drop the diced celery root and poach for 1 minute. Strain and plunge the celery dice into ice water. Drain and set aside.
2. Add the butter, cream, meyer lemon zest to the blender with the celery root and blitz until airy and gorgeous. Season to taste with salt. Set aside to a small saucepan on low heat.
3. Work on your chicken: Preheat the oven to 415F/212C. Season the chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a bare amount of olive oil over medium high heat, add the chicken skin side down. Sear for 4-5 minutes, until the skin is crisp, deeply golden, and it's fat is rendered. Flip once and transfer the entire skillet to the oven. Roast 15 minutes, remove from skillet, tent with foil and rest 5 minutes.
4. Make your pesto: While the chicken is roasting, combine all the ingredients for the pesto in the small bowl on a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste for seasoning.
5. With a large basting spoon, draw a circle of pesto on a plate of your choice. Within the circle, add a large scoop of celery root puree on a plate of your choice. Sprinkle the poached celery over the puree. Place a chicken breast, skin side up, over your puree. Sprinkle with snipped chives and serve!