Chicken

Baked harissa chicken with vegetables

Name: Baked harissa chicken with vegetables recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1kg chicken thigh; 390g eggplant; 600g sweet potato; 1 each green and yellow capsicum, cut into 3cm-wide strips; 2 red onions, cut into wedges; 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced; 60ml olive oil; 1 tsp nigella seeds, to serve; 125.00 ml mint leaves, to serve; 2 red capsicums; 2 long red chillies; 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled; 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground; 1 tsp each coriander, toasted and ground; 1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground; 125ml olive oil; 2 tsp red wine vinegar; Large pinch saffron threads; 200g Greek-style yoghurt; 1 small garlic clove, crushed; 20.00 ml lemon juice; 20.00 ml extra virgin olive oil

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P71 Baked harissa chicken with vegetables

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by Mike McEnearney

Chef and delicious. columnist

May 24, 2023

Put this in the middle of the table, so you can share it with your favourite people.

4 (1kg) large chicken thigh cutlets skin on
1 (390g) eggplant, thickly sliced into rounds
1 (600g) sweet potato, unpeeled, washed, thickly sliced into rounds
1 each green and yellow capsicum, cut into 3cm-wide strips
2 red onions, cut into wedges
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp nigella seeds, to serve
1/2 cup mint leaves, to serve

Harissa

2 red capsicums
2 long red chillies
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp each coriander, toasted and ground
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar

Saffron yoghurt

Large pinch saffron threads
200g Greek-style yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced.
2.

For the harissa, line a large baking dish with baking paper. Add capsicum and chilli and roast for 20 minutes, then add garlic and roast for a further 15 minutes or until skin softens and starts to blacken. Transfer vegetables to a container with a lid, cover and cool to room temperature. Reserve baking dish. Discard skin and seeds of capsicum, skin of garlic and stem from chillies. Place the vegetables in a food processor with all the remaining ingredients and whiz until smooth. Season with salt flakes.
3.

Place chicken, eggplant, sweet potato, capsicum, onion, lemon slices and harissa in reserved baking dish. Season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper and toss until well combined and coated in the harissa. Arrange chicken, skin-side up, on top of vegetables. Drizzle with oil. Roast for 1 hour or until chicken skin blisters and vegetables caramelise (this will happen quickly, as the harissa will slightly burn). If it begins to blacken too quickly, reduce temperature to 200°C/180°C fan-forced, but don’t cover with foil, as you don’t want the vegetables to steam; they will become soggy.
4.

Meanwhile, for the saffron yoghurt, place saffron and 1 tbs boiling water in a medium heatproof bowl. Infuse for 10 minutes, then whisk in remaining ingredients. Season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle chicke
5.

Sprinkle chicken and vegetables with nigella seeds and mint, and serve with saffron yoghurt alongside.