Nigella Lawson's chicken and pea traybake is a one-pan recipe designed for quick midweek dinners, particularly on busy weeknights. The dish serves four people and can be easily reheated if there are leftovers.
The recipe notes describe the result: "The peas become soft and sweet in the heat-duller in colour, but so much more vibrant in flavour-and the steam they produce as they bake makes the chicken beautifully tender, its skin crackly and crisp on top."
Ingredients for the traybake
The recipe calls for 900g frozen petits pois, 400g trimmed leeks cut into 3cm slices, two peeled and minced garlic cloves, four 15ml tablespoons of dry white vermouth or wine, two 15ml tablespoons of regular olive oil, two teaspoons of Maldon sea salt flakes, one small bunch of fresh dill torn into pieces, and eight chicken thighs with skin on and bone in.
Method and cooking time
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan). Tip the frozen peas into a large roasting tin, followed by the leeks, garlic, vermouth, two teaspoons of oil, two teaspoons of sea salt flakes, and most of the dill. Combine everything thoroughly, breaking apart any large clusters of frozen peas until evenly mixed.
Place the chicken thighs skin-side up, drizzle with a little olive oil and scatter with sea salt flakes before putting the tin in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the tin and gently stir the peas so any sitting on the surface and beginning to dry out are slightly submerged in the liquid. Leave the leeks alone, as the pieces poking above the surface will develop a caramelised quality from the heat. Return the tray to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the peas and leeks are tender and the chicken is thoroughly cooked with crisp, golden skin.
Serving and storage tips
Pluck the remaining dill and sprinkle it over the dish just before bringing it to the table. Nigella recommended accompanying it with steamed new potatoes to absorb the pea and chicken juices. Any leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and stored in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave until piping hot throughout. Should you wish, light chicken stock can be substituted for wine or vermouth.
