Spiced Chicken Thighs with Apricot and Almond Couscous
A burnished platter of crisp-skinned chicken on herb-flecked couscous, jewelled with apricots and toasted almonds, with a swirl of garlicky yoghurt catching the chilli flakes and torn mint.
Ingredients
Serves 8- 8bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 3garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 2 tspras el hanout
- 1lemon, zested and halved
- 350 mlhot chicken stock
- 300 gcouscous
- 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil
- 100 gdried apricots, roughly chopped
- 60 gflaked almonds
- 20 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 15 gfresh mint leaves, roughly torn
- 2red onions, cut into wedges
- ½ tspground cinnamon
- 2 tbspolive oil, divided
- 400 gcarrots, peeled and cut into batons
- 1 tbsprunny honey
- ½ tspchilli flakes
- Fine salt and black pepper
- 4warm flatbreads (optional)
- 1garlic clove, finely grated (optional)
- 200 gnatural yoghurt (optional)
- 8portions a squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C fan. In a large bowl, combine the ras el hanout, cumin, smoked paprika, grated garlic, olive oil and lemon zest, season well, then add the chicken thighs and toss until every piece is slick with the spice paste.
- Toss the carrots with the honey and 1 tbsp of the divided olive oil. Toss the onions with the remaining 1 tbsp and cinnamon. Spread over two roasting trays if needed to avoid crowding.
- Nestle the chicken skin-side up among the vegetables and add the lemon halves, cut-side up. Roast for 35–40 minutes until golden, the carrots are tender and the thickest chicken part reaches 75°C for 30 seconds, clear of the bone.
- While the chicken roasts, toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking often, until pale gold and fragrant. Tip onto a plate.
- Place the couscous and chopped dried apricots in a large heatproof bowl. Pour over the hot stock, cover tightly with a plate or cling film and leave for 8 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Fluff the couscous, add the extra virgin olive oil and squeeze in the juice from the roasted lemon halves, discarding any pips. Fold through the parsley, half the mint and most of the almonds. Season to taste.
- If using the optional yoghurt, stir in the optional grated garlic and a squeeze of the optional lemon juice. Season lightly.
- Spoon the couscous onto a large platter and arrange the roasted carrots and red onions alongside. Sit the chicken thighs on top.
- Scatter over the remaining almonds, mint and chilli flakes. Add the optional garlic yoghurt and flatbreads if using.
Per serving
- kcal
- 500
- protein
- 30.4g
- fibre
- 7g
- carbs
- 52.4g
- fat
- 19.5g
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