Barley soaks up the flavourful pan juices and swells into a satisfying, crowd-friendly traybake.
Cider chicken & barley traybake
Serves 6
Ingredients
2-3 Tbsp olive oil blend
200g streaky bacon
1 cup dried pearl barley
800g oven roast vegetable mix
1 bulb garlic, halved
12 bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and milled pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 bottle (330m1) apple cider
1 ½ -2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 Tbsp basil pests, for serving
Chopped parsley, to garnish
Basil leaves, to garnish
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil over high heat and cook bacon, but not until fully crispy. Drain on paper towel and roughly chop into 2cm chunks.
- Place barley in the base of a 35x45cm deep oven dish.
- Top barley with oven roast veggies and garlic halves. Season.
- Season chicken thighs well. Sprinkle with spices and arrange the chicken among the vegetables, on top of the barley. Drizzle chicken and vegetables with remaining oil.
- Pour the apple cider around the chicken in the dish. Mix the chicken stock and mustard together and pour in the dish.
- Roast for about 25 minutes.
- Cover with foil, lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for 1 hour more.
- Spoon over basil pesto, sprinkle with chopped parsley and top with basil leaves to serve.
Recipe & styling: Lichelle May
Photography: Zhann Solomons
Also read: Caramelised chicken curry
