I love a good tray bake when I’m feeling lazy or am exhausted after a work day. It needs little preparation, and all you need to think about is each ingredient’s cooking time.

When I made this particular tray bake I wanted something comforting but with lots of flavour, and good chorizo does add all that. The fat from the smoky chorizo and the chicken melts nicely into the tray and get absorbed by the root vegetables, making the whole dish moist and crispy at the same time. There is no need to add a sauce, although creme fraiche with sweet chilli sauce, salt and white pepper would be a fab addition, but if you’re lazy a (big) dollop or good quality mayonnaise will do nicely too.I took my plate and curled up under the duvet, a ‘la Nigella and watched an episode of Rizzoli & Isles. That’s allowed when home alone on a gloomy and dark autumn evening.

Tray bake with chicken, chorizo, potatoes and parsnips, serves 2-3

3 baking potato sized potatoes, I used Maris Piper

1 parsnip

1 green bell pepper

1/2 chorizo ring, sliced

1 garlic solo, sliced

4 chicken thighs

1/2 lemon, the juice

mild olive oil

salt & pepper

Pour some oil onto a roasting tray. Dice the potato into large chunks (with the skin on). Peel and cut the parsnip into chunks as well as the pepper. Place it all in the roasting tray. Add salt and pepper and place it in the oven for 20 minutes on 200C.

In the meantime, brown the chicken thighs on medium-high heat in a frying pan. Remove the roasting tray from the oven after 20 minutes and add the sliced chorizo and garlic. Squeeze the lemon juice on top and place the chicken thighs in the tray. Put it back into the oven for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.