If you ever have a chef cook you dinner at home, you’re likely to notice how seamless they make it look, and how they clean as they go to avoid a pile up of pots and pans in the sink at the end (well, most chefs). It is all about good timing, and knowing the right time to add ingredients into pans or trays, so that you use as little equipment as possible.
One-tray bakes are very handy for this, and there are also other benefits. Some dishes really benefit from allowing cooking juices to make a natural sauce, really adding to the flavour.
People can be put off cooking something like a roast chicken or a whole fish because it seems daunting, but it really couldn’t be easier. This roast chicken recipe is so simple. The balsamic glaze makes the skin crispy and leaves the chicken juicy and tender on the inside.
Giant cous cous is similar to a pasta. The grains are much larger than normal cous cous. It also works well in salads when cooked and cooled. The juices from the chicken make a delicious stock, and the giant cous cous soaks up all of those delicious cooking liquids.
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Whole baked fish can be daunting, but it needn’t be. Ask your fishmonger to gut and scale the fish and make sure to wash it before cooking. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can attempt to pinbone the fish pre-cooking, although it will come right off the bone when cooked. Any baby potatoes will work, I just prefer the waxiness of Rattes.
The shrimp fajitas are also incredibly simple and tasty, ask your fishmonger to de vein the prawns for you, and make sure not to cook them for too long as they can get tough. These are perfect for kids too.
Recipe: Tray-baked balsamic glazed chicken with giant cous cous, pearl onions and chard
