Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken & Vegetables
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in skin-on, room temperature
- 500 g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 250 g cremini mushrooms, halved if large, whole if small
- 45 ml olive oil
- 2 g dried thyme
- 3 g garlic powder
- 6 g salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Lemon Crème Fraîche
- 120 ml crème fraîche
- 1 lemon
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, grated or pressed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 519 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbohydrates
- 21 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 766 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 1212 mg
- Calcium
- 132 mg
- Iron
- 4.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 92 mg
- Phosphorus
- 400 mg
- Zinc
- 4.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 739 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 40 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 38 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.14 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 1.6 mg
- Folate
- 40 mcg
- Water
- 129 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Position a rack in the center of the oven.
Place the cubed butternut squash and mushrooms on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 30ml (2 tbsp) of olive oil, half the dried thyme, half the garlic powder, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly and spread them out in a single layer.
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels to ensure crispy skin. Rub the chicken with the remaining 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, remaining thyme, remaining garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Nestle the chicken thighs skin-side up amongst the vegetables on the baking sheet. Roast for 35-40 minutes until the squash is tender, the chicken skin is golden and crispy, and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 74°C (165°F).
While the chicken roasts, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, grated garlic, and chopped parsley. Season with a pinch of salt to taste.
Remove the tray from the oven. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken and vegetables directly from the tray or plated, topped with a generous dollop of the lemon crème fraîche.
Chef's Notes
- Cut the butternut squash into uniform 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes. If they are too large, the chicken will finish before the squash is tender.
- If your baking sheet is small, divide the ingredients between two sheets to avoid overcrowding. Overcrowding leads to steaming and soggy vegetables.
- The lemon crème fraîche is essential as it provides a temperature and acidity contrast to the hot, savory roasted elements.
- For extra flavor, toss the roasted vegetables in the pan juices immediately after removing the chicken to rest.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store crème fraîche sauce in a separate airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat chicken and vegetables in an oven at 180°C/350°F for 10-15 minutes to recrisp skin. Do not heat the crème fraîche sauce.
Troubleshooting
Chicken skin is not crispy
Cause: Moisture on the skin or overcrowded pan created steam
Fix: Switch oven to broiler/grill setting for the last 2-3 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning
Prevention: Thoroughly pat chicken dry before seasoning and ensure ample space between items on the tray
Cultural Context
The 'traybake' is a staple of modern home cooking, evolving from traditional Sunday roasts into a weeknight-friendly format. By cooking proteins and vegetables simultaneously on high heat, this method emphasizes the Maillard reaction—browning both the meat and the vegetables to create depth of flavor with minimal cleanup.
