Method

• 1.
  Ask your butcher to separate the marylands from the chicken and remove the backbone to leave a chicken crown with the wings on. Reserve marylands for another use. Using a sharp knife, cut a wide circle into the top of the pumpkin to create a large lid. Use a spoon to remove seeds and scrape around the edges, creating a cavity large enough for the chicken crown to fit inside.

• 2.
  Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush chicken with oil and season. Melt butter in a frypan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning, for 3-4 minutes until skin is golden. Remove chicken and set aside. Add the thyme and white wine to pan, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon, for 2 minutes or until wine is reduced by half. Place the pumpkin in a roasting pan, then place chicken inside pumpkin. Pour wine over chicken and replace with pumpkin lid on top. The lid should fit quite tightly (you may need to readjust chicken). If lid doesn’t fit tightly cover pumpkin with foil. Bake pumpkin for 1 1/2-2 hours until lid is easily pierced with a sharp knife. Remove chicken from the pumpkin and set aside. Slice four 2cm slices from the pumpkin, reserving remaining pumpkin for another use.
• 3.
  Transfer chicken to a board and cut in half down the breastbone. Serve with the pumpkin, snow peas and snow pea shoots. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.