Siniyet Djaj o Batata (Chicken and potato bake)

Low on time but don’t feel like ordering in, try this chicken and potato bake that is ready in no time!

We all have a couple of recipes we keep in our back pocket and whip out whenever we need something we know is fast, delicious and guaranteed to please. Siniyet djaj o batata, which translates to “tray of chicken and potatoes”, is one of those recipes I always fall back on.

This super versatile dish is perfect as a quick weeknight dinner and a good way to sneak in other vegetables to feed your kids or to just use up some extra veggies you have lying around. Vegetables I like to throw in are peas and carrots, but it is delicious just with potatoes! I also like to make this when I am having a large number of people over and am making several dishes, because it is easy and I know that almost everyone will like it.

I always use bone-in skin-on chicken because the bone gives it more flavour and the skin keeps the chicken moist and tender. The olive oil ensures that the skin crisps up and browns nicely. I cover the dish with aluminium foil, but whenever available, I like to throw all the ingredients in a roasting bag and bake.

The best part of this dish is it really doesn’t need any work, it is a matter of tossing all the ingredients together in a pan and baking. You really can’t mess it up! Serve this with some warm pita or vermicelli rice and watch how fast it comes together!

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 chicken
• 3 large potatoes
• 2 large onions
• 1 tbsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• chopped parsley to garnish
• serve with pita bread/rice

Instructions

1. Place the chicken, potatoes, and onions in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with mixed spice, cardamom, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
2. Add about ½ a cup of water, or enough to cover the bottom of the tray. Cover with aluminium foil and place in a preheated oven.
3. Bake at 200C for 45 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through. Remove the aluminium for the last 10 minutes to allow the skin to brown. If the skin isn’t crispy enough, you can put it under the broiler for a few minutes.
4. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with pita bread or rice. Enjoy!