Name: Traybake chicken Caesar salad
Ingredients: 6 chicken thighs, skin on and bone removed (about 800g); 1 lemon, very thinly sliced (1–2mm thick); 2 tbsp olive oil; 2–3 heads of sweet Cos lettuce (or Romaine), quartered lengthways (400g); Handful of croutons, shop-bought or homemade, to serve; 120g mayonnaise; 85ml buttermilk or kefir; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 2 spring onions, finely chopped; ½ tsp onion granules; ½ tsp garlic granules; 15g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve; 15g dill, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs to serve; Fine sea salt; Black pepper

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Serves 4

Prep 15 min

Cook 35 min

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Roasted chicken thighs are used here to create a Caesar salad, all in the same baking tray. The wedges of lettuce, tossed in the leftover juices, soften and then everything melds together. The dressing gets pretty close to a ‘ranch’ that typically comes premade in a bottle.

Ingredients

6	chicken thighs, skin on and bone removed (about 800g)
1	lemon, very thinly sliced (1–2mm thick)
2 tbsp	olive oil
2–3	heads of sweet Cos lettuce (or Romaine), quartered lengthways (400g)
	Handful of croutons, shop-bought or homemade, to serve
Dressing
120g	mayonnaise
85ml	buttermilk or kefir
1 tsp	Dijon mustard
2	spring onions, finely chopped
½ tsp	onion granules
½ tsp	garlic granules
15g	Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
15g	dill, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs to serve
	Fine sea salt
	Black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl, with 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside.
Lay the chicken out flat in a parchment-lined baking tray (about 20cm x 30cm) and season with 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Add the lemon slices, drizzle over the olive oil and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the chicken is crispy and the lemon slices have started to caramelise.
Transfer the chicken and lemon to a shallow bowl and rest for 10 minutes. Keep the baking tray and parchment paper with all the pan juices. Finely chop half the lemon slices and add them to the dressing. Cut the chicken into 1cm-thick slices and toss in the bowl with the rest of the lemon slices.
Add the lettuce wedges to the baking tray, season with a pinch of salt and some pepper and turn them a couple of times in the pan juices. Spoon over half the dressing and scatter the chicken on top. Finish with the rest of the dressing, a handful of croutons, the extra Parmesan and a few sprigs of dill.