Moroccan-spiced Chicken Tray Bake with Sweet Potatoes, Bell Peppers, and Preserved Lemons
One-pan meals like this traybake are our best friend on busy weeknights. The flavours here have been inspired by my recent trip to Morocco, where the abundance of colourful spices in every dish was so inspirating! Ras el Hanout is a typical Moroccan spice mix using cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cardamom and saffron, which you can make at home or buy the mix in the herb section at most shops. It gives this traybake a real depth, transporting you straight to Marrakech with every mouthful. Preserved lemons have long been used as a condiment and flavour booster in North Africa, but you can easily swap these for fresh lemons if you haven’t had time to preserve them, they roast just as well but will hold more of the typical bitter taste.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs OR 4 chicken breasts
3 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
4 tbsp Greek or coconut yoghurt
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
squeeze lemon
2 sweet potatoes, washed & cut into cubes
2 large beetroot (any colour), peeled and cubed
1 red onions, peeled and sliced into wedges
2 bell peppers, thickly sliced (mix and match with colours)
8 garlic cloves
8 slices preserved lemon (or fresh)
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pomegranate seeds and live yoghurt, to serve
Method
1. If making preserved lemon ahead of time, prepare the jar by adding a layer of salt at the bottom. Slice 2 of the lemons (about ½ cm) and juice the other 2. Layer the lemon in the jar, salting each slice as you go. Leave about an inch space at the top of the jar for the juices.
3. Once the jar is filled with the lemon slices, push them down then pour over the fresh lemon juice until they are all completely submerged.
4. Cover the jar and store in a cool dry place for at least 1 week. Once the skin has softened and colour translucent, move to the jar to the fridge and you’re ready to go.
5. Move onto the traybake. Add the chicken thighs/breasts to a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl mix together the yoghurt, olive oil, 2 tbsp ras el hanout, salt, pepper and squeeze of lemon juice – this is your marinade.
6. Using your hands, rub the marinade into the chicken and leave for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
7. Preheat the oven to 180C Fan and line a large roasting tray with baking paper. Spread the sweet potatoes and beetroot out in a roasting tray, drizzle over a little oil, sprinkle of 2 tsp ras el hanout and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes.
8. Add the peppers, red onion, and garlic, toss well using a wooden spoon and roast for another 10 minutes.
9. Then nestle the chicken amongst the veg, spread out the lemon slices and roast for a final 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
10. Stir through the fresh parsley, sprinkle over some pomegranate seeds, then divide between bowls and serve with an extra dollop of yoghurt.
