Harissa Chicken Thighs with Couscous and Herbs

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp rose harissa
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 lemon, zested and halved
• 2 red onions, cut into thin wedges
• 2 courgettes, cut into 2cm half-moons
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 300g couscous
• 350ml hot chicken stock
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 20g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 15g fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 40g flaked almonds, toasted in a dry pan, to serve
• pomegranate molasses, to drizzle, to serve
• 200g natural yoghurt, to serve
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C fan. In a large bowl, combine the rose harissa, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, grated garlic and lemon zest. Bloom is happening in the oven here — the cumin and paprika will toast against the chicken skin and turn fragrant rather than dusty, so don't skip the oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add the chicken thighs and toss until every piece is slick with the spice paste.
2. Scatter the red onion wedges and courgette half-moons across a large roasting tray in a single layer — crowd them and they steam instead of charring. Drizzle with the olive oil, season well, then nestle the chicken thighs on top skin-side up, spaced apart so the skin can crisp. Tuck the two lemon halves cut-side down into the tray.
3. Roast for 35 minutes, until the skin is deeply charred at the edges, the garlic in the paste has gone pale gold rather than black (watch it on the second tray of cooks — burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter, so if your oven runs hot, check at 30 minutes), the vegetables are tender with caramelised tips, and the juices run clear when the thickest part of a thigh is pierced.
4. Meanwhile, tip the couscous into a large heatproof bowl. Pour over the hot chicken stock, cover tightly with a plate and leave undisturbed for 8 minutes — no peeking, the trapped steam is what cooks the grains evenly.
5. Fluff the couscous with a fork, breaking up any clumps, then stir through the extra virgin olive oil and the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper — naked couscous is bland couscous, so be braver than you think.
6. Fold the chopped parsley and torn mint through the couscous just before serving so the herbs stay vivid green rather than wilting into the warm grains.
7. As the tray comes out of the oven, squeeze the roasted lemon halves over the chicken — the softened juice mingles with the harissa-stained pan oils into an instant dressing. Taste a corner of a thigh and a spoonful of the pan juices; adjust salt now, not at the table.
8. Spoon the herbed couscous onto a large platter and arrange the roasted vegetables and chicken thighs on top. Drizzle generously with the pomegranate molasses, scatter over the toasted flaked almonds, and finish with extra torn mint and parsley. Serve with the natural yoghurt spooned alongside and the lemon wedges for squeezing.