Harissa Chicken with Herby Couscous

• 600 gchicken thigh fillets
• 2 tbsprose harissa paste, jarred
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 200 ginstant couscous
• 240 mlhot chicken stock
• 1lemon, zested and juiced
• 20 gfresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 20 gfresh mint, roughly torn
• 150 gcherry tomatoes, halved
• 150 gGreek yoghurt
• 1clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 tspchilli flakes, optional (optional)
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 200 gchopped tomato, cucumber and lettuce salad, dressed with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Method

1. 1Mix the rose harissa, olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper in a bowl. Season the chicken thighs well before they hit the marinade; salt now means flavour all the way through, not just on the surface. Toss until every piece is slick and red.
2. 2Heat a large frying pan or griddle over high heat until it's smoking hot; you want serious heat for the char. Lay the thighs in two batches, not all at once. Crowd the pan and the meat steams in its own juices instead of charring; you want space around each piece so the harissa caramelises and the edges blacken.
3. 3Cook each batch for 5–6 minutes per side until charred at the edges and the thickest chicken piece reaches 75°C for 30 seconds. Lower the heat if the paste starts to burn. Rest for 2 minutes before slicing.
4. 4Tip the couscous into a bowl, pour over the hot stock, stir once, cover with a plate and leave for 5 minutes. Fluff thoroughly with a fork until every grain is loose and separate; clumped couscous is just under-fluffed couscous.
5. 5Stir the halved cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, the lemon juice, parsley and mint through the couscous. The lemon juice does the heavy lifting here; it lifts the herbs and cuts through the richness of the harissa chicken to come. Taste and season. Couscous always needs more salt than you think.
6. 6For the yoghurt, grate the garlic finely; finer than you think; and stir into the Greek yoghurt with a pinch of salt. Raw garlic is fierce, so a fine grate means it disappears into the yoghurt rather than catching you in single hot bites. Don't let it sit too long or it'll turn sharp; make this just before serving.
7. 7Pile the herby couscous onto plates, lay the chicken over it with its resting juices and spoon the garlic yoghurt alongside. Add the optional chilli flakes and dressed salad if using. The listed lemon and herbs are already in the couscous.

Per serving

kcal

456

protein

39.1g

fibre

4.5g

carbs

46.4g

fat

12g