Winter chicken bake

Tray bakes are good in winter as well as summer and in this version we’ve used lots of good wintery vegetables such as parsnips and Brussels sprouts – almost like a Christmas dinner! The mint leaves add a nice touch of freshness at the end.

Winter chicken bake

Info

Serves
4 People

Ingredients

  • 2–3 carrots, quartered lengthways
  • 2–3 parsnips, quartered lengthways
  • 3 leeks, trimmed and cut into rounds
  • 200g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
  • 200ml white wine
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 300g frozen peas, defrosted
  • salt and black pepper

To serve

  • Mint leaves

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Arrange the carrots, parsnips, leeks and Brussels sprouts in a large roasting tin and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over half the olive oil and rub it into the vegetables, then rub the rest into the skin of the chicken thighs. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them on top of the vegetables.

  2. Mix the white wine with the mustard, vinegar and honey and pour it around the chicken thighs. Sprinkle the thyme over the top, then put the tin in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, stirring the vegetables once.

  3. Remove the tin from the oven and pour in the peas around the chicken, pushing them under the vegetables as much as you can. Put the tin back in the oven for another 25–30 minutes or until the chicken is crisp and completely cooked through, and the vegetables are just tender.

  4. Serve sprinkled with fresh mint leaves.