Spiced chicken and vegetable tray bake

This is a hearty winter dish that's quick and simple, with minimal washing up. Ideally, the chicken should be left to marinate overnight as this really helps to enhance the flavours, but this is not essential.

The beauty of this dish is that you can swap in a good variety of seasonal vegetables depending on the time of year: in spring, I’ll use asparagus, spring onion and new potatoes, with chives and parsley; and in the summer, I’ll use peppers, fennel, tomatoes and courgettes, topping with fresh mint and pomegranate seeds. Don’t feel that you have to follow the exact recipe; instead use the concept to celebrate all that’s in season.

The chicken is best left to marinate overnight but it’s not essential. Keep the vegetables chunky, otherwise they will cook faster than the chicken.

SERVES

4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tsp ground turmeric

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp hot chilli powder

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• a few glugs of good olive oil

• 4 chicken thighs on the bone

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained

• 2 red onions, peeled and sliced into chunky wedges

• 1 aubergine, cut in to large chunks

• ½ small squash, peeled, deseeded and cut in to wedges

• 1 fennel bulb, sliced into 6 wedges

• chopped coriander, to serve

• toasted nuts, such as pistachios, pine nuts or flaked almonds, to serve

For the tahini yogurt

• 3 tbsp tahini

• 200g coconut or natural yogurt

• zest and juice of 1 lime

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

METHOD

1. Mix together all the spices, garlic and 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Make a few slashes in the chicken flesh with a small knife and rub in the marinade, coating the thighs all over. Leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but ideally overnight.

2. To cook, preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.

3. Using your largest baking tray, sprinkle in the chickpeas then add the vegetables and drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil, and season. Nestle the chicken pieces on top, then bake for 50 minutes, until the the meat is cooked and golden.

4. Meanwhile, mix together the tahini yogurt ingredients with 1-2 tbsp cold water.

5. Mash the chickpeas into the tray juices, then serve with the chicken and vegetables, scattered with the coriander and toasted nuts, with the tahini yogurt alongside.

Recipe from ameliafreer.com