Tray bakes are great for preparing easy and nutrient-packed meals without spending hours in the kitchen.
In the book Ultimate Fit Food by Gordon Ramsay, the celebrity chef shares a chicken tray bake recipe that couldn’t be any easier to prepare.
This dish combines protein-rich chicken with a variety of vegetables, ensuring a healthy and varied nutrition for the whole family.
Ingredients
One whole chicken, jointed, or two breasts, two thighs and two drumsticks, skin removed
One tbsp olive oil
One head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
One leek, trimmed, halved lengthways and sliced
200ml dry white wine
400ml chicken or vegetable stock
Two thyme sprigs
Two x 400g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed
250g baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat a large roasting pan on the stove and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, sear the chicken pieces on all sides until they are golden brown. Place the chicken skin-side up.
Add the garlic, cut side down, to the pan, followed by the leeks. Stir the leeks around in the oil to coat them.
Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for two minutes, then add the stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Turn off the heat and add the thyme sprigs, butter beans, and spinach, placing them around the chicken. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then mix everything together.
Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Stir the contents occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for five minutes before serving in warm, shallow bowls.