Chicken Thighs with Harissa

Chicken Thighs with Harissa

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs with skin and bones

• 3 tbsp harissa sauce – See harissa recipe

• 1/2 c chicken stock

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 1 orange bell pepper/capsicum, sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, sliced

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• about 12 oz (340 g) olives

• 12 cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 preserved lemon, chopped

• salt & pepper

• lemon zest

• mint leaves for garnish – optional

Directions

1. Combine harissa, cinnamon, and chicken stock in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan with a cover over med-high heat.

3. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to frying pan, skin-side down. Sauté until brown, 6 to 8 minutes, before turning over and browning the other side. Remove thighs from the pan.

4. Remove all but 2 tbsp of fat from the pan. Add onions and peppers to the pan and sauté until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic for the final minute.

5. Add olive salad and harissa sauce mix, stir, and heat through.

6. Add thighs back to the pan, skin-side down, before adding the cherry tomatoes and preserved lemon. Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium.

7. After 15 minutes, turn over the thighs so that they’re skin-side up. Do not cover the pan, giving the sauce a chance to thicken while the chicken finishes cooking.

8. After the thighs have cooked for a total of 30 minutes, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the largest thigh. When the temperature reaches 165˚ F (75˚ C) the thighs are done.

9. Remove to serving platter, sprinkle with lemon zest, and garnish with torn mint leaves, if desired.

10. Serve immediately.