Chicken-tastic!

• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
• Toss the pumpkin/squash and onion with oil in a large roasting tin.

  Roast for 15 minutes or until beginning to soften and lightly char.
• While that's happening, heat a little oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the chicken, skin-side down, for 10 minutes or until the skin is golden and the fat has rendered.

  Then add the chopped bacon and cook for 2 minutes and add in most of the sage leaves.
• Next, transfer the chicken, bacon and sage to the roasting tin with the vegetables (*keep your fry-pan close with the juices from the chicken etc to make the sauce).

  Pop the roasting tray back into the oven for 15 – 20mins or until the chicken is cooked and your vegetables nice and tender.
• To make the sauce… add the garlic to the reserved frying pan with the chicken and bacon juices and stir over medium-low heat until fragrant.

  Add the stock, stirring to scrape up any crusty bits, then pour over the chicken and put back into the oven until piping hot.
• Roughly chop the remaining sage leaves and parsley and scatter over the chicken and vegetables in the tray.

  Serve the traybake with mash.

Peri Peri sauce

• Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.
• Roughly, cut the peppers and red onion up and then place on a baking tray.

  Drizzle approx 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil over them and sprinkle on the paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and 1 tsp of the salt and mix altogether.

  Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Next, add the garlic and jalapeno chillies and toss together again, then place in the oven for another 10 minutes.

  Take out of the oven and into a blender (pour in all the juices from the tray as well).

  Now, add the dried thai chillies, white pepper, lemon zest and juice and the dried rosemary. Blend until smooth.

  Add the remaining vegetable oil and the red wine vinegar and blend again.
• On a baking tray, place your spatchcock chicken and pour over 1/3 of the sauce, then sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and black pepper.

  Put in the oven (at 180C/350F) for 45 minutes.

  Baste the chicken and spoon over 2 more tablespoons of the sauce after 45mins and then put back in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

  Serve with the leftover sauce.

For the meatballs

• Make the panade: Mix the bread and milk in a large bowl and let it sit so the bread gets saturated – 3 mins.

  Then add in the Parmesan, egg, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and whisk together.

  Add the ground chicken and using your fingers, mix until just combined. You don't want to mash the meat or overwork the mixture otherwise it will make your meatballs dry.

  Now, shape into 1.5 inch meatballs (approx 2 tbsps per meatball).
• In a large frying pan with high sides or a casserole dish, over medium heat, add oil and then brown your meatballs by turning for approx 3-4mins. You may need to do in batches as you don't want to overcrowd them when frying

  Once cooked, transfer them to a plate.

For the sauce

• In the same pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter, then add the garlic and onions and cook until they are softened.
• Next, add the chopped mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 mins.
• Stir in the flour, cook for another minute so it's all mixed and then slowly add the chicken stock while whisking continuously until the sauce thickens.

  Lastly, stir in the rosemary, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper and the meatballs.
• (Add a little more stock or water if the sauce is too thick).
• Simmer the meatballs for approx ten minutes.

  Then stir in the double cream and switch the hob off.
• Serve with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or as a meatball sub.

Marinade the chicken

• Mix the chicken with the ginger and garlic paste and salt.

  Then whisk together the yoghurt, chilli powder, garam masala and oil.

  Now, massage this into the chicken and marinade for a minimum of 4 hours in the fridge

The sauce

• Pierce the green chillies a few times with a sharp knife.

  Heat the oil in a saucepan add the green chillies, the whole spices, bay leaves and ginger and sauté for a couple of minutes.

  Then add the tomatoes and simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes (or until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp).
• Once the tomatoes etc are cooked e, pass them a strainer or sieve and put this smooth sauce aside.

  Whatever is still left in the sieve (after removing and discarding the whole spices and green chillies), purée in a blender, with a little water if required.

  Pass again through a sieve and add to the tomato sauce.

  Place the sauce back on the heat, bring to the boil and add the chilli powder, honey, tomato paste and butter.

  Season with salt and simmer for a further 20 minutes

The final cook and serving

• Grill the marinated chicken under a hot grill, BBQ or oven until cooked.

  Add the cooked chicken to a saucepan over a medium heat and stir in the cashews and pour in the makhani sauce.

  Sprinkle with the Kasoori methi, add the cream, a few more knobs of butter, stir and simmer for a few minutes.

  Serve with naan or rice.

• PREPARATION

  Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric together. If not using kosher chicken, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add pepper to taste. Rub chicken with mixture, cover, refrigerate and marinate 3 to 4 hours.

  Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to platter. Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to tagine, if you are using one, or leave in skillet. Add cinnamon stick.

  Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives. Quarter the lemons, remove pulp and cut skin in strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.

  Cover tagine or skillet. Place over low heat, and cook about 30 minutes, until chicken is done. Scatter parsley on top, and serve.

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
• In a large non-stick frying pan, add some sunflower oil and on a low heat add the onion and crushed garlic. Cook until the onion is softened, but not coloured (approx 5mins).

  Add in the leek, stirring in and cook for 1 minute more.

  Now add in the chicken and cook through.
• Next, pour over the white wine and 100ml of the water and dissolve the stock cube in the pan by squishing it with a wooden spoon.

  Keep simmering on a high heat and stir constantly until the liquid has reduced by about half. Then remove the pan from the heat.
• In a large bowl, add ham strips (about 1.5cm wide) and add sprinkle the flour on top and toss lightly.
• Now, add the chicken, onion, leek and stock mixture, the rest of the water and the crème fraiche.

  Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and stir all the ingredients together until just combined.

  Spoon into a 1.5-litre pie dish.

Filo pastry

• Put the 3 filo pastry sheets on a flat work surface on top of each other and cut with a sharp knife into strips – you should get around 9 long strips.

  Put some oil into a small bowl and using a pastry brush, lightly oil each strip, then scrunch up gently and place on top of the filling.

  Do this with each strip, adding them close to each other, until you have covered your filling.
• Bake the pie for 30–35 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
• Serve.

• Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/ Fan 160°C
• Make sure your chicken is at room temperature and spatchcock your chicken (see post for link to 'How to…') and place on a baking tray
• Make your marinade:

  In a pestle and mortar, crush your fennel seeds. Then, grate in your garlic, lemon zest and add the oregano, smoked paprika and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Lastly add in the oil and water and mix well
• Pour over the marinade and rub all over

  Cover the chicken with foil and pop in the oven for 45 mins.

  Then, remove the foil, baste the meat and return to the oven, uncovered, for 15 mins or until nice and golden and crispy

  The chicken is cooked when it reaches 71 C on a meat thermometer or if you insert a skewer or knife into the thickest part of a thigh and its juices run clear

  (If not, return the chicken to the oven for a further 5-15 mins before checking again)
• When you're happy it's cooked, transfer to a serving plate and rest for 20 mins covered, loosely, with foil.

  Sprinkle chopped parsley leaves and the lemon wedges.