Hairy Bikers Chicken Traybake

Hairy Bikers chicken traybake piles chicken thighs, potatoes, fennel, and spring veg onto one tin for an easy supper. It comes from their Ultimate Comfort Food cookbook, serves 4, and roasts in about 45 minutes at roughly 450 calories a portion.

In the book they say they are extra happy with this one, out of the many traybakes they have made. The clever bit is adding the veg in three stages, so the potatoes cook through while the asparagus stays crisp.

Par-boil the potato slices first, then steam them dry in the pan, so they roast crisp instead of soggy. That extra couple of minutes matters, because wet potato slices never brown properly under the chicken.

Hairy Bikers Chicken Tray Bake

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 45 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 5 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:450 kcal Best Season:Spring

Description

Chicken thighs sit on a bed of fennel and par-boiled potatoes, then roast while wine, stock, and tarragon are added around them. Lemon, courgettes, asparagus, and baby leeks go in through the cook, so everything finishes tender together.

Ingredients

For the traybake

• 500g waxy potatoes, thickly sliced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, cut into wedges
• 4 chicken thighs, on the bone
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 100ml white wine
• 150ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Leaves from 3 tarragon sprigs, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
• 1 lemon, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
• 2 courgettes, sliced diagonally
• 200g asparagus spears, trimmed
• 8 baby leeks, trimmed
• Leaves from a few parsley sprigs, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Par-boil the potatoes: Heat the oven to 200°C, Fan 180°C, Gas 6. Boil the potato slices in salted water for 5 minutes, then drain and steam them dry in the pan.
2. Start the tray: Toss the fennel and potatoes in a little oil, season, then spread over a large roasting tin. Coat the chicken thighs in more oil, season with salt, pepper, and oregano, then sit them on top.
3. First roast: Roast for 20 minutes, then whisk the wine, stock, vinegar, tarragon, and garlic together. Pour it around the chicken, then toss the lemon, courgettes, asparagus, and leeks in the last of the oil.
4. Add lemon and courgettes: Add the lemon slices and courgettes to the tin, then roast for another 15 minutes.
5. Add the greens: Add the asparagus and baby leeks, then roast for a final 10 minutes, until everything is tender and the chicken is browned.
6. Garnish and serve: Scatter over the parsley and extra tarragon, then serve straight from the tin.

Keywords:hairy bikers chicken traybake, chicken traybake, chicken thigh traybake, one tin chicken, spring chicken traybake

FAQs

Which chicken is best for a traybake?

Chicken thighs on the bone are best, because they stay juicy through the roast and cost less than breast. The bone and skin also add flavour to the pan juices, so the whole tray tastes richer.

What other Hairy Bikers chicken traybakes are there?

They have plenty, including a Mediterranean chicken and sage traybake with pumpkin, apricots, and olives, and a lighter fennel, pea, and new potato one. Their British Classics book also has a Cumberland sausage, chicken, and squash traybake for something heartier.

For a Spanish version, their spanish chicken is a chorizo traybake with smoked paprika.

Can I swap the vegetables?

Yes, use whatever is in season, though keep the staging logic in mind. Firm veg like potatoes and fennel need the full time, while tender greens like asparagus go in near the end.

What should I serve with it?

It is a full meal on its own, with the potatoes and greens already in the tin. A little crusty bread is nice for mopping up the lemony pan juices, and nothing else is really needed.

How is a traybake different from a roast chicken dinner?

A roast dinner uses a whole bird with stuffing and gravy, and takes longer with more washing up. This traybake uses thighs and cooks everything on one tin, so it is quicker and easier for a weeknight.

For the full Sunday version, try their classic roast chicken, or their mediterranean roast chicken for a whole sunny bird.