Mary Berry's chicken traybake has been hailed as a perfect dish for hectic weeknights, described by home cooks as "easy to put together" and "very tasty". The television chef's roasting tin spiced chicken combines a range of flavours to create a satisfying evening meal.
One-tin dish praised by home cooks
The recipe, featured from Mary's Cook and Share book, is described by Happy Foodie as: "Mary Berry's fuss-free, one-tin chicken, fennel and sweet potato traybake is flavoured with a simple five spice marinade and is the perfect choice for busy midweek evenings."
The dish has proved popular with those who have already tried it. One person remarked: "Amazing. Easy prep and delicious. My go to when busy pop in the oven and serve." Another said: "This was amazing - I don't typically like fennel bulb, but the blanching seems to have transformed it. Dish was delicious and easy."
A third person wrote: "I made this recipe and I was really impressed by how easy it was to put together and delicious. Five stars rating for me and my family." A fourth added: "Very tasty and an unusual combination of flavours that worked well."
Recipe details
The recipe serves four to six people and requires eight large skinless, boneless chicken thighs, one fennel bulb, two small red peppers, two medium sweet potatoes, two tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon of cornflour.
The marinade includes four tablespoons of mango chutney, two teaspoons of Chinese five spice powder, three tablespoons of soy sauce, one teaspoon of grated fresh root ginger, two crushed garlic cloves, four finely chopped mild peppadew peppers and the juice of half a lemon.
To prepare, combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl, season with black pepper and mix thoroughly. Add the chicken pieces, coat well, cover and marinate for one to two hours in a cool place or overnight in the fridge.
Cooking method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Blanch the fennel wedges in boiling water for about five minutes until softened, then drain thoroughly. Place the blanched fennel and all prepared vegetables in a large roasting tin, drizzle with oil and season generously. Add the chicken with all the marinade and toss to coat. Roast for 25 minutes.
Remove the tin from the oven and transfer the juices to a small saucepan. Return the tin to the oven for a further 10 minutes until the chicken and vegetables are golden and cooked through. Blend the cornflour with two tablespoons of water until smooth, bring the pan of juices to the boil, add the cornflour mixture and stir until thickened. Add a little more water if the consistency is too thick, then transfer the sauce to a jug.
Serve the chicken thighs and vegetables hot with the sauce on the side. The recipe can be prepared up to four hours in advance.
