The only tray bake I make

If you’ve spent time in a Portuguese person’s house, you’ve probably eaten some version of this meal.

I’m not a huge fan of tray bakes - although, to be clear, I’m always very happy when anyone else cooks for me, even if it is a tray bake. My issue is usually with the promise that everything will cook harmoniously together at exactly the same time, despite different ingredients wanting different temperatures and cooking times, which in most cases just isn’t realistic. That said, I get that sometimes the convenience is worth it.

You could cook this entirely in one tray, but I think it’s worth doing it in stages and building the pan sauce into the liquid everything finishes cooking in. The bottoms of the potatoes turn soft and tender while the tops get brown and crisp, the shallots become jammy and sweet, and the chicken stays crisp and juicy. The sauce is full of flavour, and the best bites come at the end when you mop everything up with some crusty bread.