Winter Squash Toasts

1 Butternut or other winter squash, cut into even chunks, peeled or unpeeled.

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 dried chilli

1 cinnamon stick

oil

200g vacuum- packed chestnuts

75g dried cranberries

grated zest and juice of 1 clementine

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

a small bunch of sage, leaves picked

1 seeded baguette, sliced

• Preheat the oven to 200C/ gas 6. Place the squash on a baking tray. Bash the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar and sprinkle them over the squash with some salt and pepper. Crumble over the dried chilli, snap the cinnamon stick and add that too, then drizzle with a tiny bit of  oil. Use your hands to mix the lot together.
• Roast the squash in the oven for 40 minutes, until soft right through. Add two- thirds of the chestnuts for the last 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then remove the cinnamon.
• Meanwhile put the cranberries in a pan with the clementine zest and juice and vinegar and simmer over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until jammy. Keep an eye on it and add a little water if it get’s too dry. Set aside.
• Blitz the roasted squash mixture in a food processor, taste and season if needed. Put into a bowl until you are ready to serve.
• Heat a little oil in a pan and fry your sage and rosemary leaves until just crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Crumble the remaining chestnuts into the pan and warm through, then set aside.
• Toast the bread, then arrange on a platter. Spoon a bit of the bright squash onto each toast, top with sticky cranberries, sprinkle over the herbs and crumbled chestnuts and serve at room temperature with something sparkly.