There’s no need to serve anything with this dish. The whole point of a tray bake is to fling it together, bung it in the oven and relax over a beer or a cup of tea on the stoep until it’s done, and all that remains after that is to dish it up.

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on

2 whole corn on the cob (mielies)

1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes

⅓ cup olive oil plus more for oiling then baking tray

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp each ground cumin, ginger, crushed garlic, chilli powder

Salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220

Oil the bottom of a baking tray.

Mix together the ¼ cup olive oil, red wine vinegar and spices. Toss the chicken thighs in this and arrange on the baking tray.

Cut the mielies into fat chunks and do the same.

Slice the sweet potatoes and do the same with the slices, pushing the corn and potatoes between the thighs.

Drizzle over any remaining baste and season with salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for about an hour, shaking the pan now and then. DM/TGIFood

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Writer of the Year 2021. His book, foodSTUFF, is available in the DM Shop. Buy it here.

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