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Harissa chicken
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg and thigh portions
- 1 lemon
- flatbread and green salad, to serve (optional)
For the harissa paste
- 1 red capsicum (pepper)
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 red chilli, seeded
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 × 3cm piece ginger, peeled
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
Method
To make the harissa paste, preheat the grill on high. Place the whole capsicum under the hot grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the skin is almost black. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with cling film, then set aside to cool completely.
Once cool, carefully peel away the blackened skin and remove the stalks and seeds. Put the capsicum flesh and the rest of the harissa ingredients in a food processor and blend to a thick paste.
Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin on the thigh part of each chicken piece to create a pocket, ensuring that the skin is still attached to the flesh. Gently insert 1tsp, heaped of the harissa paste into the space between the meat and the skin.
Rub the rest of the harissa paste all over the chicken pieces, then tightly pack them into a plastic container. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Preheat a grill or griddle pan to high. Cook the chicken pieces on one side for 6 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 6 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut a small wedge right to the bone to ensure that the chicken has cooked all the way through.
Remove the cooked chicken pieces from the heat and squeeze lemon juice all over them. Serve hot with flatbread and a green salad, if you like.
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