Roast chicken and pumpkin black lentils

SERVES 6 

FOR THE CHICKEN 

2kg (5lb) chicken 

salt and pepper 

6 tbsp olive oil 

8 tbsp Amontillado sherry 

1kg (2lb 4oz) Crown Prince or butternut squash, cut into wedges, peeled and deseeded

225g (8oz) black lentils 

½ small onion, left in one piece 

1 celery stick, halved 

1 garlic clove 

1 bay leaf 

2 sprigs of thyme 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

juice of ½ lemon

FOR THE PICADA 

100ml (3½fl oz) olive oil

30g (1oz) chewy peasant-style bread, sliced 1cm (½in) thick 

40g (1½oz) skin-on hazelnuts

zest from ½ orange, removed with a zester, finely chopped

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp amontillado sherry

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Put the chicken into a roasting tin and season it inside and out. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the regular oil. Now pour on 4 tbsp of the sherry, both inside and over the top, too. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes, basting. Put the squash into a roasting tin. Add the rest of the regular oil and season, then turn it over. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the sherry. Put into the oven after the chicken has been in for 55 minutes (the squash needs to cook for 40 minutes). Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes while the pumpkin finishes cooking; it should be tender and caramelized at the edges.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a pan with the onion, celery, garlic, bay and thyme and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–30 minutes, until tender. Keep an eye on them as you do not want mush! Drain and remove the onion, celery, garlic and herbs (if you can find the garlic). Stir in the virgin oil and lemon juice. Season well. Cover and keep warm. (Lentils are fine lukewarm in this dish.)

To make the  picada, pour the oil into a small frying pan and set over a medium-low heat. Dip a piece of bread in the oil; if it sizzles a bit, reduce the heat slightly and add the bread in a single layer. Fry, turning, until it is a pale caramel colour on both sides. Spread out on kitchen paper and leave to cool.

Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan, stirring, until they give off a nutty smell. Rub in a tea towel while warm to remove skins, then roughly chop. Break the bread into chunks, put in a bag and crush to coarse crumbs with a rolling pin. Finely chop the rest of the ingredients and mix with the vinegar and sherry.

Put the lentils and pumpkin on a large platter with the chicken. Drizzle the chicken with the remaining 2 tbsp of sherry, scatter on the  picada  and serve.