Guest Recipe: Amelia Freer's Chicken & Vegetable Traybake

Image: Simon Reed

Amelia Freer is a leading nutritional therapist and heathy eating expert. This delicious recipe of hers is perfect for using Sutton Hoo Chicken thighs – one of our favourite cuts of chicken as they stay nice and moist when cooked.

This one tray wonder dish makes the most of root vegetables in winter, but you can use different vegetables depending on the season. In spring you can use asparagus, spring onions and new potatoes with chives and parsley. In summer, use peppers, tomatoes, spring onions and courgettes can be used along with a finish of fresh mint and some pomegranate seeds. Don’t feel you have to stick to the exact recipe, try using whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, you can’t go too wrong!

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken thighs on the bone
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp hot chilli
½ tsp ground ginger
3 clove garlic, crushed
a few lugs of good olive oil
2 red onion, in wedges
1 aubergine, in large chunks
half a small squash, roughly 250-300g, peel and cut into wedges
1 head of fennel in 6 wedges
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
pistachio, flaked almonds or pinenuts, toasted
salt and pepper
coriander to finish

TO SERVE

3 tbs tahini
200g unsweetened, natural yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt for a dairy free option)
1 lime, zest and juice
1 clove garlic crushed
1-2 tbsp cold water

METHOD

Note: it is important to keep the vegetables chunky otherwise they will cook faster than the chicken

Mix all the spices, garlic and olive oil together. Make a few slashes into the chicken flesh with a small knife and rub the marinade in, leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 200/180 fan/gas 6. 

In your largest baking tray, sprinkle the chickpeas, then the vegetables and drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil and seasoning. Nestle the chicken pieces on top then bake for 50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and golden. I like to mash the chickpeas into the juice on the bottom before serving. 

Top with freshly chopped coriander and some toasted nuts and serve with the yoghurt sauce.

For more inspiration check out Amelia Freer’s Website, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest