Why Was My Indian-Spiced Chicken And Potato Traybake Overcooked?

Our answer

Nigella's Indian-Spiced Chicken And Potato Traybake (from AT MY TABLE) is a one-pan supper that is warmly spiced with cumin, mustard, fennel, nigella seeds and turmeric. As the chicken thighs cook, their spiced juices are absorbed by the potatoes. For this reason, it is important to use skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs.

NIgella uses a shallow roasting tin for the dish, which is deeper than a rimmed baking sheet or sheet pan. If you use a rimmed baking sheet then the ingredients will be more directly exposed to the heat of the oven, the liquid will evaporate more quickly and the chicken will brown more quickly. Also, the ingredients should fit fairly snugly in the pan and not be spread out too much. Finally, as all ovens vary slightly, the recipe does suggest that the cooking time may vary slightly as it says "or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken cooked through, its skin golden and crisp". So it is worth checking the traybake once or twice as it cooks, as it may be ready earlier.