Asian Roast Chicken Traybake

I've said it before and I'll say it again - you just can't beat a tray bake when it comes to ease and, most importantly, deliciousness! There's hardly any washing up, the oven does the hard work for you and all of the ingredients are able to mingle and get to know each other to become more than the sum of their parts.

This version takes its inspiration from south east Asia with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and oyster sauce (though I use a mushroom equivalent as I am slightly intolerant to shellfish). As always with this sort of recipe, you can make swaps and changes as you please. Use any root veg instead of carrots, use white fish or halloumi instead of chicken and swap the broccoli for any green veg you like. This dish is wonderful on its own as a light lunch or you make more of a meal of it by serving it with simply steamed rice.

Asian Roast Chicken Traybake

Serves 4

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1 bunch spring onions, green tops left whole, white parts finely sliced

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

4 tbsp oyster or mushroom sauce 

2 tbsp mirin or rice wine

1 tbsp soy sauce

Finely grated zest and juice 1 lime

160g tenderstem broccoli 

1 red chilli, sliced 

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. 

Put the carrots and spring onion in a large baking dish or roasting tin, then lay the chicken thighs on top. Season well with black pepper. Spoon over the oyster/mushroom sauce, mirin/rice wine and soy sauce, then add the lime zest and juice with a splash of water. Massage to coat the chicken, then roast for 30 minutes. 

Remove the dish/tin from the oven, nestle in the tenderstem broccoli around the chicken. Roast for a final 10 minutes until everything is tender. Serve scattered with the sliced chilli.