Harrisa lemon chicken thighs
Harissa paste
Harissa is a spicy chili paste that originally from North Africa, Tunisia to be precise. It’s commonly used as a dip, marinade, or to added in dishes like stews to add vibrant red color and heat.
In this recipe we will be making the harissa paste from scratch and will use it to marinade our chicken. I’ll be giving it a slight twist by adding a some lemon zest to give it a heavier lemon zing!
This paste can also be used as a on marinade fish, meats or vegetables and it’s delightful.
Ingredients
1kg Chicken thighs
1.5tsp Rock salt
1 Lemon
Handful of lemon thyme
Harissa paste:
2½ tsp Coriander seeds
2½ tsp Caraway seeds
2½ tsp Cumin seeds
7 Large dried Mexican chillies
5tsp Chipotle chilli flakes
2tsp Smoked paprika
2 Red chillies
4 garlic cloves
Small bunch coriander
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Lemon (juiced)
100ml olive oil
Preparation
clean the chicken, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside as you prepare the marinade.
In a food processor add all the listed ingredients for the harissa paste followed by the squeezed juice of 1 lemon.
Blend the ingredients until it forms a smooth paste.
Spoon in 2-3 tablespoons of the harissa paste onto the chicken. Thoroughly rub the marinade into the chicken.
Zest 1 skin of a lemon onto the chicken. Finish with adding a few sprigs of fresh lemon thyme stalks over the chicken.
Leave the chicken to marinade for 30 minutes before placing into an oven and bake at 180 degree for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and the skin is lovely and crispy.
Serve with a side or rice or roast potatoes.
