Harissa Chicken with Charred Broccoli & Yogurt

Ingredients

• 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp rose harissa
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 broccoli heads, cut into florets and stalks sliced
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 220g Greek yogurt
• 15g mint, finely chopped
• 15g dill, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Warm pitta bread, to serve
• Chopped salad, to serve
• Plain couscous, to serve
• Quick cucumber pickle, to serve

Method

1. Stir the harissa, smoked paprika, cumin, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the lemon zest, half the lemon juice and the grated garlic together in a bowl. Season the chicken generously with salt and black pepper before it goes anywhere near the marinade — this is your foundation seasoning, and it can't be added back later. Rub the paste over every thigh so each piece is properly coated, then leave it to sit for 15 minutes while you prep the veg.
2. Toss the broccoli florets, sliced stalks and red onion wedges with the remaining olive oil, a good pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper.
3. Heat a griddle pan or heavy frying pan over a high heat until it's smoking hot — you want serious heat for proper char marks, not a gentle sizzle. Add the broccoli and onion in a single layer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning now and then, until the broccoli is blackened at the florets and the onion has softened and caught in patches. Tip onto a warm plate.
4. Add the chicken to the same hot pan in two batches — crowd it and the thighs will steam in their own juices instead of catching that sticky, lightly blackened crust. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side until the harissa has bloomed into the oil and gone fragrant, the spices smelling toasted rather than raw and dusty, and the juices run clear from the thickest piece. The grated garlic in the rub will char as the chicken cooks — that's the whole point, but keep an eye on the heat so it goes pale gold and smoky, not burnt and bitter. Rest the chicken on a board for a couple of minutes.
5. While it rests, stir the Greek yoghurt with the chopped mint, dill and the rest of the lemon juice. Taste it — it should be cool, sharp and herby enough to cut through the smoky harissa. Adjust the salt now, not at the table.
6. Slice the rested chicken into thick strips and tumble it back through the charred broccoli and onion so the spicy resting juices coat everything. Taste one last time and adjust the seasoning.
7. Pile the chicken and charred veg onto plates over a bed of plain couscous, spoon the herby yoghurt generously alongside, tuck in the lemon wedges for squeezing, and finish with the quick cucumber pickle on the side for crunch and bite.