The Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Berbere Spiced Chicken, Carrots and Chickpeas
An easy traybake packed with flavour, this recipe for Berbere spiced chicken, carrots and chickpeas from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen is a lovely Autumn weekend dinner.
From the book
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love
A collaborative effort from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team
Designed to help you make the most of your pantry, fridge, and freezer
With recipes ranging from one-pot feasts to sumptuous bakes
Introduction
Berbere is an Ethiopian spice blend with quite a bit of a kick, so use a little less if you’re not into heat. We use store-bought berbere spice, but you can also toast and grind your own homemade blend, especially if you have a well-stocked spice rack. We love this for being a complete meal in a tray, but wouldn’t say no to a big ol’ bowl of greens to eat alongside.
Ingredients
| 1 large (220g) | onion, roughly chopped |
| 6 | garlic cloves, peeled |
| 45g | fresh coriander, stalks (25g) and leaves (20g), separated and roughly chopped |
| 2½ tbsp | berbere spice (we recommend the Bart brand) |
| 2 tbsp | tomato paste |
| 2½ tbsp | runny honey, plus a little extra for drizzling |
| 3 tbsp | apple cider vinegar |
| 90ml | olive oil |
| 800g | carrots, peeled and cut into 4-5cm lengths (680g) |
| 8 medium | chicken thighs, skin on and bone in |
| 2-3 | oranges: 1 left whole and the rest juiced to get 100ml |
| salt and black pepper |
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
Put the onion, garlic, coriander stalks, berbere spice, tomato paste, honey, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 4 tablespoons of oil, 1¾ teaspoons of salt and a good grind of black pepper into a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.
Put the blitzed onion mixture, carrots, chickpeas, chicken, orange juice and 150ml of water into a large roasting tin, roughly 34cm x 26cm in size, and toss everything together to combine. Arrange the thighs so that they’re skin side up and slightly nestled on top, then cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for 40 minutes more, rotating the tin halfway through, or until everything is cooked through and nicely coloured. Set aside to settle slightly, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and segment the whole orange and then roughly chop the flesh. Put this into a medium bowl along with the chopped coriander leaves, the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and mix to combine.
When ready to serve, spoon the coriander salsa all over the top and serve directly from the roasting tin.
Make it your own:
– Swap out the berbere spice for other spice blends such as hawaij.
– Use other chicken segments if you prefer.
