Nigella Lawson's chicken and sausage traybake is a one-pan dinner that uses a sage, onion, mustard and lemon marinade. The recipe is designed to feed the whole family and requires minimal fuss.
A simple marinade with classic flavours
The recipe notes explain the inspiration: "I took it into my head one day that I wanted to marinate and cook some chicken with the flavours of a traditional sage-and-onion stuffing. So onion, mustard, sage and lemon infuse the jointed bird, and sausages are cooked alongside the pieces in one big pan."
According to the chef, the chicken can readily be swapped with 10 bone-in, skin-on thigh pieces.
Ingredients and method
The dish requires one large onion, 125ml olive oil, two teaspoons of English mustard, one tablespoon of dried sage, pepper, one lemon, one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, two kilograms of chicken jointed into 10 pieces, 12 sausages, and two tablespoons of chopped fresh sage.
The method begins by peeling and slicing the onion into eighths, then placing it into a freezer bag with the oil, mustard, dried sage, a generous grinding of pepper, the lemon juice, the squeezed-out husks cut into eighths, and the Worcestershire sauce. Everything is squished together to combine, then the chicken pieces are added and left to marinate in the fridge overnight, or for up to two days.
Cooking and serving
The oven is preheated to 220C/200C, and the chicken is allowed to come to room temperature in its marinade. The chicken pieces are arranged in a deep roasting tin, skin-side up, along with the marinade, and the sausages are nestled around them. Fresh sage leaves are scattered over the top, and the tin is cooked for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Fan ovens may cook slightly faster, so it's advised to check after one hour. The sausages should be turned halfway through cooking to ensure they colour evenly.
Once cooked, the chicken and sausages are placed on a large serving platter and brought to the table. This recipe is not recommended for preparing ahead of time. Any leftovers should be covered and placed in the fridge as promptly as possible, and within two hours of cooking.
Nigella also advises using a high-sided roasting tin rather than a shallow one, as this will allow the chicken and sausages to cook more uniformly.
