Sticky Baharat Chicken with Maple-Roasted Squash

‘This tasted like an autumn Sunday dinner, but the pears, sumac and warm spices made it feel wonderfully different.’

This is autumn comfort food with a lively Middle Eastern twist. Chicken thighs roast over squash, parsnips, pears and red onion while a glossy mustard, honey and baharat glaze collects in all the delicious corners of the tray. Fresh pears are the unexpected touch: they soften without disappearing, balancing the savoury spices with mellow fruitiness. Crispy-edged kale and a final shower of sumac keep everything fresh, colourful and exciting.

Serves 4

Cooking times

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50–55 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 10–15 minutes

Ingredients

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

750g butternut squash, deseeded and cut into thick crescents

2 firm pears, cored and quartered

2 parsnips, cut into chunky batons

2 red onions, cut into wedges

3 tbsp olive oil

150g kale, tough stalks removed and leaves roughly torn

2 tsp Greenfields Baharat

1 tsp Greenfields Aleppo Chilli

1 tsp Greenfields Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Greenfields Yellow Mustard Seed, lightly crushed

1 tsp Greenfields Garlic Powder

1 tsp Greenfields Rosemary

½ tsp Greenfields Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Greenfields Sumac, plus extra to finish

½ tsp Greenfields Himalayan Pink Salt with Rosemary

Freshly ground Greenfields Black Peppercorns, to taste

2 tbsp Greenfields Greek Thyme Honey

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or Greenfields Cane Molasses

Juice of ½ lemon

100ml hot chicken stock

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Method

Heat the oven to 210°C, 190°C fan or gas mark 6½.
Place the squash, parsnips and red onion in a large roasting dish. Add 1½ tablespoons of olive oil, half the baharat, half the Aleppo chilli, the smoked paprika, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Toss well and roast for 15 minutes.
Mix the honey, wholegrain mustard, molasses, lemon juice, garlic powder, cinnamon, crushed mustard seeds, remaining baharat and remaining Aleppo chilli in a small bowl.
Pat the chicken thighs dry. Brush them generously with the glaze, reserving about 1 tablespoon for later.
Remove the roasting dish from the oven. Turn the vegetables, add the pear quarters and pour the stock around the edges. Sit the chicken on top with the skin facing upwards.
Roast for 30 minutes. Brush the chicken with the reserved glaze, scatter over the pumpkin seeds and return to the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the chicken is deeply golden and completely cooked. The thickest part should reach at least 75°C.
Toss the kale with the remaining olive oil and a small pinch of salt. Tuck it around the chicken during the final 6–8 minutes of cooking so that some leaves soften while the edges become crisp.
Rest the traybake for 5 minutes. Finish with Greenfields Sumac and a little extra Aleppo chilli before serving.

Recipe Tips

Choose firm pears such as Conference or Comice so they retain their shape while roasting. Cut the squash into fairly thick crescents. Small pieces can become too soft before the chicken is ready. For extra-crisp chicken skin, place the finished dish under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes, watching it closely because the honey glaze can catch quickly. Add the kale near the end of cooking; placing it in the tray too early will make it dry and bitter. Baharat varies across the Middle East, but its warm, aromatic character is particularly suited to autumn vegetables, roast chicken and fruit. For a gluten-free meal, use gluten-free chicken stock and check the labels on the mustard and molasses.

Nutrition

Energy: 625 kcal

Protein: 40g

Carbohydrate: 55g

Fat: 28g

Fibre: 10g

Salt: 1.4g