How to make roast chicken, fennel, lemon and new-potato tray bake

Delicious new potatoes are so easy to grow, even in pots. Dig them up just before cooking for the best results.

Roast chicken, fennel, lemon and new-potato tray bake

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (or skin-on chicken pieces)
• Olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 750g new potatoes
• 2 fennel bulbs
• 2 red onions
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 pomegranate
• Handful of pea shoots

Method

Cut the chicken into pieces and mix together in a large bowl with olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Cover with cling-film and refrigerate. Preheat your oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas mark 6.

Wash the new potatoes and halve them or, if larger, cut into 3—aim for walnut-sized pieces. Arrange the pieces on a large oven tray and drizzle with olive oil, ensuring the potatoes are well-coated.

Wash the fennel and remove the coarse outer layer before cutting into wedges (about 6 per bulb). Peel the red onions and cut them into quarters. Add both to the tray along with the sprigs of rosemary and peeled and sliced cloves of garlic. Mix everything together, adding more olive oil if needed, until the vegetables are coated. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and arrange pieces of chicken between the vegetables, making sure the skin is facing up. Return to the oven for 40 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear and the potatoes are tender.

To serve, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the hot tray bake and scatter with pomegranate seeds and pea shoots.

More ways with potatoes

New-potato and red-pepper frittata (serves 2)

In a medium-sized frying pan, cook a sliced red pepper, a sliced yellow pepper, 1 sliced red onion and crushed garlic in a splash of olive oil. Fry until nearly tender. Add 200g of cooked new potatoes (the slices can be cooked in a microwave). In a jug, mix together 6 eggs and a tablespoon of pesto. Pour the mixture over the vegetables, ensuring the egg fills any pockets. Cook for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese and pop under the grill to melt. Scatter with salad leaves and serve.

Tuna steak with new potatoes, spinach and capers (serves 2)

Boil 300g of new potatoes until tender. Drain, slice and set aside. Pan-fry 2 tuna steaks until cooked to your liking and place on warmed plates. In the same pan, melt 20g of butter and cook the slices of potato in a single layer until brown on both sides. Mix in a few handfuls of spinach, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, a good squeeze of lemon juice, 2 tbspn of capers and season. Spoon over the tuna steaks and serve.

Easy side of truffled new potatoes

Boil new potatoes until tender, drain and smash lightly using the back of a fork. Drizzle over truffle oil followed by grated Parmesan and seasoning. Delicious with meat dishes.

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