Marcus Bean’s spring chicken traybake
Marcus Bean is in the kitchen to kick off the week with an easy chicken tray bake. Ready in just half an hour and packed full of spring vegetables, he’ll be showing you how to throw together this delicious meal in no time.
Creamy Parmesan Chicken With Spring Vegetables Crispy Parmentier Potatoes
Serves 6
Ingredients
A little oil for frying800-850g chicken thighs (5-6 thighs)20g butter1 medium onion finely diced3-4 cloves garlic finely sliced2 sprigs fresh thyme100ml white wine (optional)100ml chicken stock200ml double cream50g freshly grated ParmesanJuice half a lemon100g podded broad beans, fresh or frozen150g fresh or frozen peas6 stems of English asparagus, cut into 1-2cm pieces100g fresh spinachFresh chives, finely choppedSalt and pepper
Method
1. Place a large frying pan on medium heat, add a little oil, and add the chicken thighs into the pan, skin side down. Season the side facing up with salt and pepper, and cook the thighs for 5-6 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden. Remove from the pan and place on a plate to rest for a few minutes.
2. Keep the same pan on medium heat, add a little more oil and the butter, add the diced onions, and slowly cook, add the sliced garlic and the sprigs of thyme, let everything slowly cook together without burning and until soft around 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the wine, simmer, and cook for two minutes then add the chicken stock, double cream, half the Parmesan, and lemon juice, bring to a simmer, season to taste then add the chicken thighs into the pan making sure the crispy skin is facing up.
4. Place the pan in the oven without a lid in a preheated oven at 180c for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes remove from the oven, add the broad beans, peas, and asparagus. Put the pan back in the oven and cook for a further 6 minutes, until the chicken is good through. You can check with a meat probe which should read between 70-75c.
5. Remove from the oven, add the spinach, and carefully stir together. Taste the sauce and season to finish, adding more parmesan if needed. If the sauce gets a bit thick, just add a touch of water and mix.
6. Serve with crispy potatoes and freshly chopped chives.
Crispy Parmentier PotatoesIngredients
1 kilo potatoes good for roasting (Maris piper, Rooster)100ml rapeseed oilSea salt flakes2 sprigs rosemary2 sprigs thyme5-6 cloves garlic (sliced)
Method
1. Peel the potatoes and cut into about 2-2.5cm cubes, rinse under cold water until the water runs completely clear.
2. Add the rinsed potato cubes into a pan with cold water, generously season the water and bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes, then strain and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
3. Get a baking tray and add a generous amount of rapeseed oil, place in a pre-heated oven at 180-200c for at least 5 minutes. Bring the tray out of the oven and carefully add the drained cooked potatoes. Carefully move around in the oil then place back in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes carefully remove the tray from the oven, move the potatoes again in the tray, add the sliced garlic, rosemary, and thyme sprigs. Place back in the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until golden & crispy.
5. Serve with the chicken thighs and spring vegetables.