I really don’t think you can beat roasting chicken in a perfectly simple fashion. And that means liberally brushing the bird with melted butter before seasoning, and then roasting, thereby ensuring a crisp, golden skin. Carve into pieces - leg, thigh and breast, rather than slicing, and sit a disc of your herb butter on it to melt over.

I’m suggesting that you make this salad to accompany the chicken as a welcome change to the ubiquitous potato. Winter food can be rather heavy going and this bright and tasty combination of brilliant orange butternut squash dice, tossed with generous bacon lardons and hot salad leaves makes a lively alternative. I find squash rich, sweet and very filling but some might appreciate a chunk of crusty bread on the side.

Ingredients - serves 4

1.8 kg chicken
25g butter
salt, pepper

1 medium butternut squash
4 slices back bacon, cut into generous lardons
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tspn balsamic vinegar
1 bag organic mixed salad leaves
salt, pepper

4 discs of herb butter
(make by finely chopping 2 cloves garlic, parsley, chervil, basil and chives, then press into 150g butter , roll into a cylindrical shape, wrap with cling film and refrigerate. You won't require all of this, save surplus in the freezer)

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180°C

Pat dry the skin of the chicken. Either using softened butter, or melted, liberally butter the skin of the bird and then season with salt and pepper. Stand the chicken on a rack in a roasting tin so that it is not sitting in its own fat during cooking. The juices from the chicken will then accumulate under it and be golden and sticky - ideal for a good sauce if you want to make one. Transfer to a medium oven and roast for 1hour 15 minutes or until cooked - the juices from the cavity and thigh should not be pink.

Meanwhile, cut the squash in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Peel and cut into 20mm dice then toss in the olive oil and some seasoning. Spread on a roasting tray and roast in a hot oven (200°C) for 20 minutes - by which time it will be tender and golden at the edges - toss in the balsamic vinegar. Fry off the lardons in a little olive oil until crisp and toss together with the butternut squash. Fold in the salad leaves briefly and divide the salad between 4 plates. Carve the leg/thigh from the chicken and serve on two of the salads, then remove the breasts whole and sit them on the other two salads. Place a knob of herb butter on the pieces of hot chicken and serve.