If there is one cook who has changed the way the world thinks about flavour in the past two decades, it is Yotam Ottolenghi. The London-based Israeli-born chef turned a generation of home cooks onto bold spices, unexpected combinations and the kind of food that looks complicated but is, at its heart, deeply generous and approachable. His tray bakes in particular – everything thrown into one pan, the oven doing the work while you get on with your evening – have become a template for the best kind of weeknight cooking.
These three recipes are inspired by his approach. Each one is distinctly different in flavour and geography: one travels to the Middle East with dates, orange and warm spices; one takes a Japanese detour with white miso, ginger and sesame; and one heads to Spain with chorizo, smoked paprika and roasted peppers. All three follow the same principle – one tray, one oven, remarkable results.
Sweet dates melt into the pan juices, orange brightens everything, and a warm spice blend turns ordinary chicken thighs into something deeply aromatic and satisfying. Serve with couscous or flatbread to catch the extraordinary sauce.
Servings 4
Ingredients
8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
2 large oranges — 1 zested and juiced, 1 sliced into rounds
150 grams Medjool dates, pitted and halved
2 red onions, cut into thick wedges
1 can chickpeas (400g), drained
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons honey
1 small handful fresh coriander, to serve
4 tablespoons Greek yoghurt, to serve
Method
1 Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl combine 4 garlic cloves, crushed, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoons ground turmeric, 1 teaspoons smoked paprika, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoons honey, the orange zest and juice from 1 orange, 1.5 tsp salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Add 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and turn well to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour.
2 Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Arrange 2 red onions, cut into thick wedges and 1 can chickpeas (400g), drained across a large baking tray. Nestle the marinated 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs on top, skin side up. Pour over all the remaining marinade. Tuck 150 grams Medjool dates, pitted and halved around the chicken and lay the orange rounds from the second orange over the top.
3 Roast: Roast for 45 minutes, basting once or twice with the pan juices, until the chicken skin is deeply golden and caramelised at the edges, the dates have softened into the sauce and the onions are tender and slightly charred.
4 Rest and serve: Rest for 5 minutes. Scatter with fresh 1 small handful fresh coriander, to serve and serve directly from the tray with 4 tablespoons Greek yoghurt, to serve on the side and warm flatbread or couscous to soak up the remarkable sauce.
Tips:
The key to this dish is not rushing the caramelisation — the dates and orange rounds should be deeply bronzed at the edges. If the skin isn’t as golden as you’d like after 45 minutes, give it 5 minutes under the grill. Leftovers are extraordinary the next day – the flavours deepen overnight.
White miso brings a deep, savoury richness that is unlike anything else in your pantry. Combined with ginger, sesame and a splash of rice wine vinegar, it transforms chicken thighs into something silky, caramelised and completely addictive. The broccolini roasts in the same pan, catching the sticky glaze at the edges.
Servings 4
Ingredients
8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
3 tablespoons tbsp white miso paste
2 tablespoons tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
2 tablespoons tbsp sesame oil
2 tablespoons tbsp honey or maple syrup
3 cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoons tbsp rice wine vinegar
300 grams broccolini (or broccoli cut into florets)
2 tablespoons tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 long red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
Method
1 Make the miso marinade: Whisk together 3 tablespoons tbsp white miso paste, 2 tablespoons tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free), 2 tablespoons tbsp sesame oil, 2 tablespoons tbsp honey or maple syrup, 3 cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated, 3 garlic cloves, crushed and 1 tablespoons tbsp rice wine vinegar in a bowl until smooth. Score each 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs piece two or three times through the skin with a sharp knife. Add to the marinade and turn well to coat. Marinate for at least 60 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
2 Start the chicken: Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Place the marinated 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs skin side up on a large baking tray, pouring over all the marinade. Roast for 25 minutes.
3 Add broccolini and finish: Add 300 grams broccolini (or broccoli cut into florets) to the tray, tossing briefly in the pan juices. Return to the oven for a further 15–minutes until the chicken is deeply caramelised, the skin is lacquered and the broccolini is tender with charred edges.
4 Rest and scatter: Rest for 5 minutes. Scatter with 2 tablespoons tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, 3 spring onions, finely sliced and 1 long red chilli, finely sliced (optional) if using. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Tips:
White miso is available at most large supermarkets and Asian grocers. It is milder and sweeter than red miso – do not substitute. The glaze will look very dark in the pan; this is the miso caramelising, which is entirely correct and extremely delicious. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Smoky Spanish chorizo renders its brilliant orange fat into the pan, basting the chicken as it roasts. Roasted peppers, sherry vinegar and a handful of olives finish the dish with a richness that tastes like it took all day. It didn’t. Serve with crusty bread and a cold glass of something Spanish.
Servings 4
Ingredients
8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
180 grams chorizo, sliced into 1cm rounds
2 red capsicums, deseeded and cut into thick strips
1 yellow capsicum, deseeded and cut into thick strips
400 grams can crushed tomatoes
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
80 grams Kalamata or green olives, pitted
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, to serve
Method
1 Season and prep: Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Season 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs generously with salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons smoked paprika. In a large baking tray, toss 2 red capsicums, deseeded and cut into thick strips, 1 yellow capsicum, deseeded and cut into thick strips and 1 large red onion, cut into wedges with 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced, 1 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar) and a good glug of olive oil. Season well.
2 Assemble the tray: Nestle the seasoned 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs skin side up among the vegetables. Scatter 180 grams chorizo, sliced into 1cm rounds rounds around and over the chicken. Pour 400 grams can crushed tomatoes around the base of the tray.
3 Roast: Roast for 45 minutes, until the chicken skin is golden and crisp, the chorizo is sizzling and the capsicum has softened and begun to char at the edges. Baste once or twice during cooking with the rich orange pan juices.
4 Add olives and finish: Scatter 80 grams Kalamata or green olives, pitted over the tray and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes, then scatter with 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, to serve and serve directly from the tray with crusty bread.
Tips:
Chorizo varies enormously in quality – buy the best you can find, as it provides most of the flavour and all of the fat that bastes the chicken. If you can’t find sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar works well. The sauce in this dish is excellent – make sure you have plenty of bread. This reheats beautifully the next day.