Nigella Lawson's chicken and pea traybake has been praised as 'beautifully tender' and is ideal for midweek meals when time is short. The one-pan dinner saves on washing up and can be left to cook with minimal attention while remaining both delicious and nutritious.
The recipe notes describe how the peas soften and sweeten in the heat, producing steam that keeps the chicken tender while the skin turns crackly and crisp on top. This dish serves four people and can be easily reheated if there are leftovers.
Ingredients and method
To make the traybake, you will need 900g of frozen petits pois, 400g of 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 Malden sea salt flakes, one small bunch of fresh dill torn into pieces, and eight chicken thighs with skin on and bone in.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Put 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. Turn everything together in the pan, breaking up any large clumps of frozen peas, until well mixed.
Roasting and finishing touches
Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt flakes before roasting in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and give the peas a small stir so that those sitting on the surface and drying out are slightly submerged in the liquid. Do not stir the leeks, however, as the bits peeking out will become caramelised in the heat.
Return the tray to the oven for a further 30 minutes, by which time the peas and leeks will be soft, and the chicken tender and cooked through with crisp, golden skin. Tear off the remaining dill and scatter it over the top just before serving.
Nigella recommended serving the dish alongside steamed new potatoes to soak up the pea and chicken juices. Any leftovers can be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and stored in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave until piping hot throughout. If preferred, light chicken stock can be used in place of wine or vermouth.
