Nigella Lawson's chicken and pea traybake is a simple one-pan dinner designed for busy weeknights, requiring minimal attention while it cooks. The dish combines frozen petits pois, leeks, and chicken thighs in a single roasting tin, reducing washing up and delivering both flavour and convenience.
What the recipe notes say
The recipe notes describe how the peas transform during baking: "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."
The traybake serves four people and can be easily reheated if there are leftovers. It is part of a collection of one-pan recipes shared by various chefs over the years, with this version attributed to Nigella.
Ingredients and method
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.
To prepare, 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 in the tin, breaking apart any large clumps of frozen peas, until thoroughly mixed.
Cooking steps
Place the chicken thighs skin-side up, drizzle with a little olive oil, and scatter with sea salt flakes before putting the tray in the oven for 45 minutes. After this time, remove the tin and gently stir the peas so that any sitting on the surface and drying out become slightly submerged in the liquid. Avoid doing the same with the leeks, as the pieces poking out will turn beautifully caramelised in the heat.
Return the tray to the oven for another 30 minutes, during which time the peas and leeks become tender, while the chicken is thoroughly cooked with crisp and golden skin. Strip off the remaining dill and sprinkle it over the dish just before serving.
Serving and storage suggestions
Nigella suggested accompanying the traybake with steamed new potatoes to absorb the flavoursome pea and chicken juices. Any remaining portions can be chilled within two hours of cooking and stored in an airtight container for up to three days, then warmed through in a saucepan or microwave until thoroughly heated.
Alternatively, Nigella noted that light chicken stock can be substituted for wine or vermouth if preferred.
