Jo Wheatley's chicken, pancetta and maple parsnip traybake

When Jo Wheatley's new book, Home Baking, landed on our desk we were pleasantly surprised to find some tempting savoury family suppers as well as Jo's wonderfully indulgent cakes and showstopper desserts. We love the idea of the sweet maple syrup and salty pancetta in this chicken recipe. Want to make this dish more spring-like for a sunny May day? Toss the chicken in the thyme and maple syrup before roasting and add some blanched asparagus spears to the tin at the same time as the pancetta.

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CHICKEN, PANCETTA AND MAPLE SYRUP TRAYBAKE (serves 4-6)

Ingredients

• 6 parsnips, peeled and halved
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 4 large or 6 medium chicken breasts (skin on)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g sliced pancetta
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1-2 tbsp gravy granules

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, fan 170°C, gas 5.
2. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, parboil the parsnips for 5-10 minutes until they are just starting to soften and drain.
3. Tip the parsnips back into the pan and dust with the flour and thyme. Drizzle with the maple syrup and toss to coat.
4. Cut the chicken breasts in half, at an angle.
5. Add the olive oil to a large, deep roasting tin and place over the hob to heat. Once the oil is hot, add the parsnips and chicken to the tin and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
6. Add the sliced pancetta to the roasting tin and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Transfer the chicken, pancetta and vegetables to a serving plate with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
8. Pour 500ml boiling water into the tin and place on the hob over a medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the sticky vegetable and meat juices from the bottom of the tin.
9. Add the mustard and gravy granules and simmer until the gravy reaches your desired consistency. Pour over the chicken and parsnips, and serve.

Tip

Jo recommends serving this with some green beans, which she cooks in the microwave and serves drizzled with balsamic vinegar.