Mary Berry has plenty of recipes that suit all occasions, yet one stands out as being ideal for those hectic evenings when you need a delicious dinner on the table. The TV chef's chicken traybake has been labelled as "easy to put together" and "very tasty".
An all-in-one dish for busy evenings
Mary's roasting tin spiced chicken combines multiple flavours to create a hearty dinner. The recipe description reads: "An all-in-one dish that can be thrown in the oven and cooked all at once."
Happy Foodie, which shared Mary's recipe from her Cook and Share book, added: "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."
Home cooks praise the recipe
The recipe has been a hit with home cooks who have already given it a go. One said: "Amazing. Easy prep and delicious. My go to when busy pop in the oven and serve."
Another added: "This was amazing — I don’t typically like fennel bulb, but the blanching seems to have transformed it. Dish was delicious and easy."
Someone else commented: "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 shared: "Very tasty and an unusual combination of flavours that worked well."
Ingredients and method
Mary Berry's roasting tin spiced chicken recipe serves four to six people.
Ingredients: Eight large skinless, boneless chicken thighs; one fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced into eight wedges; two small red peppers, deseeded and sliced into large pieces; two medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into cubes; two tbsp olive oil; one tbsp cornflour.
Marinade ingredients: Four tbsp mango chutney; two tsp Chinese five spice powder; three tbsp soy sauce; one tsp grated fresh root ginger; two garlic cloves, crushed; four mild peppadew peppers, finely chopped; juice of half a lemon.
Method: Measure all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl, season with black pepper and mix well. Add the chicken and coat in the mixture. Cover and leave to marinate for one to two hours in a cool place or overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Blanch the fennel wedges in boiling water for around five minutes until softened. Drain well.
Add the blanched fennel and all the prepared vegetables into a large roasting tin. Drizzle with oil and season well. Add the chicken and all the marinade. Toss everything together to coat the vegetables and meat. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pour the juices into a small saucepan. Return the tin to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are brown and cooked through.
Mix the cornflour with two tablespoons of water until smooth. Bring the pan of juices to the boil and pour in the cornflour mixture. Stir until thickened. Add some more water if it is too thick. Pour the sauce into a jug.
Serve the chicken thighs and vegetables hot alongside the sauce. The recipe can be assembled up to four hours ahead.
