Chicken Traybake with Lemon and Olives

A chicken traybake is the most reliable dinner formula I know. You put things in a roasting tin, put the tin in the oven, and come back to dinner. The Mediterranean version with lemon and olives is one I turn to consistently — the olives soften and become almost jammy, the lemon concentrates, and the chicken skin turns properly golden and crisp.

Kalamata olives are my preference here but any good-quality olive works. Don't use the bland, pitted black olives from a tin — they have nothing to offer. The whole affair is quite forgiving about timing, which makes it ideal for the kind of weeknight where you need to put something in the oven and then go sort out other crises.

Serve with crusty bread to mop up the pan juices, which are brilliant, or over a simple couscous. Or with roasted potatoes cooked in a separate tin at the same time. The juices are the real star of this dish and they shouldn't be wasted.

Ingredients

• 1.2kg chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
• 1 cup (150g) kalamata olives
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 250g cherry tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• Crusty bread to serve

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200°C. Pat chicken pieces dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Arrange the chicken skin-side up in a large roasting tin. Scatter the olives, lemon slices, garlic, cherry tomatoes, thyme and rosemary around and under the chicken. Drizzle the olive oil over everything and sprinkle with dried oregano.

Step 3

Roast for 50–55 minutes until the chicken skin is deep golden and crispy and the juices run clear. Baste the chicken with the pan juices halfway through.

Step 4

Rest for 5 minutes. Serve directly from the roasting tin with bread for mopping and a simple green salad alongside.