Tom Kerridge’s chicken traybake recipe for a quick and easy midweek meal

Nothing beats a traybake for a quick and easy midweek meal (Cristian Barnett /PA)

“Nothing beats a chicken traybake for a quick and easy midweek meal,” says chef Tom Kerridge.

“I use chicken thighs here, along with plenty of garlic and tomatoes. However, it’s the sourdough (which soaks up all those glorious juices) and the delicious combination of herbs that will bring a taste of the Med to your British kitchen.”

Chicken traybake with garlic and cherry tomatoes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on (1.5kg in total)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 sprigs of oregano, leaves picked and roughly chopped

3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped

200g olive sourdough, cut into 2.5cm cubes

1 garlic bulb, cloves separated (but not peeled)

500g mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes on-the-vine

100ml chicken stock

2 handfuls of basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

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

2. Place the chicken thighs in a shallow roasting tray. Drizzle with half of the extra virgin olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half of the chopped herbs and turn each chicken thigh over to coat well on both sides.

3. Rearrange the chicken so that all the thighs are skin side up. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, drizzle the sourdough with the remaining extra virgin olive oil and herbs and toss well to mix. Take the tray from the oven and scatter the sourdough and garlic around the chicken. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.

5. Take out the tray again and tuck the cherry tomatoes around the chicken thighs. Pour over the stock and place back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

6. Remove the tray from the oven and scatter over the basil leaves. Let everyone help themselves to this very easy and super-tasty traybake.

‘Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain’ by Tom Kerridge (Bloomsbury Absolute, £25).