This dish, much loved by the Guardian reviewers and recipe writers, is based on the famous warm chicken salad served in the Zuni Café in San Francisco. The restaurant is famed for its roast chicken dishes created by their late head chef, Judy Rodgers. The chicken is always rubbed with salt for at least 24 hours before cooking, no extra fat is used but the bird is well seasoned and has herbs, especially thyme, inserted under the skin.

Recipes play Chinese whispers and this is my version; dried barberries and butter are the only new elements.

Oven at 190°C

1 free-range chicken, weighing approx 1.5 kg
70g butter at room temperature
A handful of thyme leaves, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lemon, zest
4 slices of rustic bread
20g currants
20g barberries
30g toasted pine nuts
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
100g salad, preferably a mixture of rocket, mustard leaves and chicory
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

If there is time, in tribute the the original recipe, salt the bird and leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours before cooking.

In a small bowl, cream the butter with the thyme, garlic and lemon zest. Season very generously. Using your hands, rub the mixture over the chicken and ease under the skin.

Cook for about 1.5 hours, turning and basting from time to time until the chicken is a good colour and the juices are clear when tested. Take out of the baking tray and keep warm.

Take some of the fat from cooking the bird and add a little olive oil. Pour into a frying pan. Tear the bread into 3cm pieces and fry them in the frying pan on a good heat until they are a golden colour on both sides. Drain and keep warm.

Using a small frying pan, mix the currants, barberries and sugar with the sherry vinegar and cook gently for two minutes. Put aside to cool.

To assemble the salad, cut the flesh from the bone and cut the chicken into bite size chunks. Put the chicken, bread, pine nuts, currant and barberry mixture into a large bowl and introduce the salad. Drizzle over a little extra olive oil, any juices in the roasting pan and possibly add a little lemon juice before serving.

Perfect for a summer lunch – and all in one bowl.