As warmer months arrive, many are seeking alternatives to the traditional Sunday roast. Mary Berry offers a straightforward chicken traybake that she describes as a 'no-fuss easy summer dinner'. This dish can be prepared on Sundays to serve the whole family or assembled quickly for weekday evening meals.
Recipe Overview
The recipe description states: 'This simple one-pot dish from Mary Berry is a perfect chicken recipe to feed your family, with the chicken and vegetables all roasted in the oven.' Everything is prepared in a single large tray, requiring just minutes to assemble. The Mediterranean All-In-One Chicken comes from her Mary Berry Cooks book and serves one chicken thigh and one drumstick per person. You can reduce quantities if that proves too much for your household. The recipe also suggests using preserved lemons, though these can be substituted with one lemon sliced if you're unable to find them.
Praise from Home Cooks
The dish has received praise from those who've already made it. One person remarked: 'Fabulous! I made this recently and both my friends asked for the recipe. It's easy and very tasty.' Another commented: 'Delicious and super easy!' A third person said: 'Lovely! Easy to prepare and cook. Very tasty. I make it quite often when we have guests and it always goes down well with lots of good comments!'
Ingredients
- One kg main crop potatoes, peeled and cut into five-centimetre chunks
- Three tbsp olive oil
- One large onion, cut into wedges
- Two garlic cloves, crushed
- Six rashers of smoked streaky bacon, cut into pieces
- Six chicken thighs
- Six chicken drumsticks
- Five preserved lemons cut into quarters, or one lemon cut into slices
- One and a half tsp paprika
- Three courgettes, thickly sliced
- 200g can anchovy-stuffed green olives, drained
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Transfer the potatoes into a large roasting tin along with two tablespoons of oil. Toss thoroughly to ensure they're coated. Toss in the onion, garlic, bacon and chicken before mixing everything together once more. Place the lemons into the roasting tin and season generously with paprika, salt and pepper. Take care not to overcrowd the tray, using two separate ones if necessary. Place in the oven and roast for 40 minutes.
In a separate bowl, coat the courgettes in the remaining tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer them into the tray and scatter the olives over the top. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes until both the vegetables and chicken are golden brown and thoroughly cooked.
