Roast chicken with harissa and couscous

The last few days have been extremely hard for various reasons. I’ve been feeling exhausted, disheartened and a bit disoriented by the circumstances, and as a result, it’s been impossible to come here and share anything.

This place, however, has always been a refuge for me and it brings me joy to communicate with all of you through my food, so I decided to come here, to this beloved blog of mine, and share this dish.

This roast chicken with harissa and couscous has graced our dinner table many a time and not without good reason. S and I love spicy flavors and harissa is nothing if not spicy. It is a chilli pepper paste hailing from Tunisia although versions of it can be found in other North African countries like Algeria, Libya and Morocco. Each country has their twist to it which makes it their own, but the basic ingredients are the same. Hot red chilli peppers, olive oil, garlic, salt and spices like cumin, caraway and coriander. In some regions harissa is smoked, in others it is not. The texture varies as well from region to region with the paste having a thick or looser texture, or being smoother or chunkier.

Harissa is served with all kinds of meals and snacks, on top of bread, in stews, with meat or fish, grains and vegetables. I love smearing it on top of my bread like I showed you in this post, but also in meat and legume stews. One of my very favorite, though, is this one with chicken which is simply delicious.

The chicken gets a good rub with a mixture of harissa, garlic, olive oil, lemon and honey, and is roasted in the oven on a bed of thinly sliced lemon. The result is a highly addictive chicken with juicy flesh and crispy skin —oh that skin!— with spicy notes from the harissa but also sweetness from the honey and acidity from the lemon that tempers the fiery flavor of the Tunisian chilli paste.

The purpose of the lemon slices at the bottom of the pan is not only to make the chicken juicy and aromatic but to also accompany it in the finished dish. The lemon, in small doses, provides that pleasant sharpness that complements beautifully the heat of the harissa. The mint couscous is there to soak up all the lovely juices from the chicken, provide freshness and elevate the dish.

P.S. The situation in my country, Greece, saddens me deeply. I won’t go into details. I’m just hoping for the best…

Roast chicken with harissa and couscous

I always use the authentic Tunisian harissa but you can use whatever you can find. The harissa I use is very hot and spicy. If you find that yours is not very hot, add ½-1 Tbsp more than the amount indicated in the recipe.

The general proportions for cooking couscous is 1:1 which means 1 cup water for 1 cup couscous. I, however, enjoy my couscous on the dry side, especially when I serve it with saucy dishes like this one, so I prepare it with 1 cup couscous and ¾ cup water. If you want your couscous to be softer and slightly sticky, then you may want to add a little more than 1 cup. It would be wise, though, to read the instructions on the packet as not all couscous is the same.

Yield: 2-4 main-course servings

Ingredients

for the chicken
1 chicken, about 1,200 g, cut into 6-8 pieces*
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1½ Tbsp harissa
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp runny honey
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small lemon, thinly sliced

for the couscous
1 cup couscous
1 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
A handful of chopped fresh mint leaves

* I always cut the chicken into six pieces; legs, wings and breasts. You can also cut it into eight pieces, separating the legs into thighs and drumsticks, but I prefer not to because they remain juicier.

Special equipment: large barking tray, plastic wrap


Preparation

make the chicken
Preheat your oven to 190-200°C.

In a large glass bowl, add the garlic, harissa, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper and mix well with a spoon. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and coat them well with the mixture.

Take a large baking pan (large enough to fit the chicken pieces in one layer) and arrange on the bottom the lemon slices. Place the chicken pieces on top, skin-side up, and pour the juices from the bowl over the top.

Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and roast the chicken for about 50 minutes, until it takes on a golden brown color and the skin becomes crispy and caramelized. Also, if you insert a knife or skewer on the thickest part of the chicken pieces, the juices should run clear and not be reddish in color. Don’t cook for longer because the chicken will dry out and become tough.

make the couscous
In the meantime, prepare the couscous.

Add the couscous in a medium-sized bowl.
In a small saucepan, add the water and olive oil, and place over high heat. When it comes to the boil, pour it over the couscous, add the salt, stir with a spoon and tightly cover the bowl immediately with a piece of plastic wrap. Leave it like that for about 10 minutes or until it has soaked the water. Then uncover it, taste it, and if it seems a bit hard, cover and leave it for a few more minutes.
When ready, remove and discard the plastic wrap and fluff the couscous with a fork.

Just before serving, check the seasoning and sprinkle with the chopped mint.

When the chicken is ready, serve in dishes on top of the couscous, not forgetting to pour over the whole dish the delicious juices from the pan. Also, do not forget to add a couple of lemon slices from the pan to each plate, which will give that pleasant acidity to temper the spiciness of the harissa.