Harissa Chicken

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon, harissa seasoning (not paste), divided use

Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

6 chicken thighs, skin on and bone-in

Salt

Black pepper

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds baby yellow potatoes, halved

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

8 large garlic cloves, lightly smashed

1/2 cup chicken stock

6 thin slices of lemon

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Fresh oregano leaves, for garnish

Directions

Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredients list above o have ready and organized for use.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Prepare your harissa paste: to a small dish add the 2 tablespoons of harissa, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, plus the lemon zest, and mix with a fork until a thick paste forms.

Place the chicken thighs on a work surface in front of you, and rub each thigh (skin-side and flesh-side) liberally with some a of harissa paste, until well covered. Sprinkle over each thigh a pinch or two of salt and pepper, then set the chicken thighs onto a platter to hold for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, place the halved baby potatoes into a bowl, drizzle over them a small amount of olive oil (about 2 teaspoons), and sprinkle over them the remaining 1 teaspoon of harissa seasoning, plus the oregano, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Toss together until covered evenly in the seasoning, and set aside for a moment.

To sear the chicken thighs, place a large cast iron skillet (or other large, oven-proof, heavy bottom skillet) over medium to medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add a batch of the chicken thighs into the pan, skin-side down, and allow them to sear on that first side for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown. Flip and sear on the second side for 3 minutes more, then remove from pan and place chicken onto a platter to hold. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Once all chicken is seared, carefully wipe out the pan from any excess oil/grease and other larger burned bits, and drizzle in a touch of clean olive oil, if needed. With the pan on medium heat, add in the onions and the smashed garlic cloves, and saute for 5 minutes, until lightly golden.

Next, pour in the chicken stock, allow it to simmer up, then turn off the heat from under the skillet.

Add in the seasoned baby potatoes, arranging them in a single, even layer on the bottom of the pan. Nestle the chicken thighs on top of the potatoes, add a slice of lemon to each chicken thigh, and place into the oven to bake for 50 minutes, or until the harissa chicken is a deep, golden-brown and cooked through.

To finish the harissa chicken, sprinkle over a few small mint leaves and/or oregano leaves, and serve one harissa chicken thigh per person with a few potato halves, and top with sauce.

Nutrition

• Calories: 451 calories per serving