Oven Baked Creamy Chicken & Bay With Crushed Potatoes

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Now, let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a full kettle

Add your potatoes to a baking tray (or two!) and prick them a few times with a sharp knife, add a drizzle of olive oil and put the tray[s] in the oven for 45 min or until cooked through

Heat a large, wide-based hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a drizzle of olive oil over high heat

Peel and cut your shallot[s] in half

Crush your garlic open by squashing with the side of a knife and discard the skin

Once the dish is hot, add your chicken thighs with a generous pinch of salt and pepper

Add the halved shallot and peeled garlic with 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and give everything a good mix up

Add 260ml [300ml] [420ml] boiled water with your mirin and chicken stock mix

Add your bay leaf[ves] and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cover with a lid and put the dish in the oven for an initial 35 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your chicken & bay

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Meanwhile, add your Tenderstem broccoli to a large piece of tin foil with a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] cold water and a generous drizzle of olive oil

Scrunch the foil around the Tenderstem broccoli to form a tightly sealed parcel, then set aside until later

Tip: Cooking for 3 or more? Make 2 separate parcels!

After the initial 35 min, add the parcel[s] to the tray[s] with the potatoes and cook for 10-12 min or until tender with a bite

Remove the dish from the oven and stir through your crème fraîche, then return the dish to the oven, lid on, and cook for a final 8-10 min or until the sauce has slightly thickened – this is your creamy chicken & bay

Once everything is ready, remove the potatoes from the oven and crush them firmly with a spatula, then add a knob of butter and a generous pinch of salt