Pot-roasted chicken with fresh sage and butternut squash

This simple one-pot meal is one of my favourites. It is incredibly quick to prepare and tastes delicious. It is something I cook often at home for my children, who also love it. You will need a casserole dish with a snug-fitting lid.

1 free-range organic chicken
1 lemon, halved
1 small bunch of sage
3 fresh bay leaves
2tbsp mild extra-virgin olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and quartered
5 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into rough chunks
2 tins of good-quality chopped tomatoes
2tbsp crème fraîche
Sea-salt and freshly ground black pepper

Start by generously seasoning the chicken all over. Insert the lemon, half of the sage and one of the bay leaves into it (having first removed the little pillows of fat found just inside the cavity).

Place the casserole dish on a medium heat and pour in the olive oil. When it's hot and slightly smoking, put the chicken in and brown lightly all over. This will take a little bit of time. Turn the chicken every now and then to make sure it goes an even, golden brown all over. Once brown, remove it from the pan and set aside.

Pour off the excess oil, add the onions, season with a pinch of salt and cook until tender. This should take about 5 minutes. Next add the garlic and the rest of the sage and bay leaves. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the squash.

Add the tomatoes and stir once or twice, then return the chicken to the pan, so that it nestles among the vegetables. Put the lid on, turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for about 45 minutes. The breasts do not need to be completely submerged in the liquid; they will happily steam cook - and remain all the more tender for it.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the crème fraîche and adjust the seasoning. It should be slightly sweet, sagey and very comforting in flavour. At home we eat this dish with farro or creamy mashed potato, and a simple green salad dressed with olive oil and lemon.