Lebanese chicken tray bake

By John Gregory-Smith

Putting something super tasty on the table in no time is easy with John Gregory-Smith's Fast Feasts: Quick, Easy Recipes with a Middle Eastern Twist.

"One of the most luscious Lebanese meze is a spicy potato dish called batata harra," says John.

"The potatoes are fried until crispy and then tossed in a garlicky chilli dressing. I have borrowed this element and added it to a chicken and potato traybake. It really does make the most delicious supper to serve any time."

Ingredients

600g	potatoes, cut into chunky chips
4	chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
2 Tbsp	peanut oil
4 tsp	smoked paprika
2 handfuls	roughly chopped coriander leaves and stalks
½	red chilli, deseeded if you like, roughly chopped
1 clove	garlic
½	lemon, juice only
2 Tbsp	olive oil
To taste	sea salt
To serve	green salad and mayonnaise

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Put the potatoes and chicken into a mixing bowl and add the peanut oil, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika and a really good pinch of salt and mix together. Transfer to a large roasting tin. You want a pretty even layer so things get crispy. Bung into the hot oven and roast for 50–60 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are crispy.
Meanwhile, put the coriander, chilli, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, remaining smoked paprika and a pinch of salt into a mini chopper. Add 2 tablespoons of water and blitz into a thick dressing. Spoon into a serving bowl.
To serve, transfer the chicken and potatoes to a warm serving dish and drizzle over a little of the dressing. Serve immediately with a green salad, mayonnaise and the remaining dressing at the table.

Edited extract from Fast Feasts: Quick, Easy Recipes with a Middle Eastern Twist by John Gregory-Smith, published by Welbeck. Photography by Nassima Rothacker.

Serves: 4