Harissa Chicken Drumsticks

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Deliciously smoky, spicy and flavourful, the harissa chicken goes really well with couscous, rice or roasted sweet potatoes, even a simple side salad is terrific. I have used chicken drumsticks, you can use wings or even a whole bird, but adjust the cooking time accordingly. Harissa could be swapped out for sambal oelek. Sriracha is another great substitute, though the consistency is different.
Originally from Tunisia, harissa is a condiment basically made with lots of dry red chilli peppers, garlic, salt, extra virgin olive oil and various spices. It is widely used in North African and Middle Eastern cooking. The ingredients for harissa paste vary from household to household and region to region – some include cumin, caraway, others tomatoes, and even rose petals. Original recipe from Bon Appetit calls for 3 different kinds of chillies. I had to tweak the recipe a little bit since I just have chillies de árbol and guajillo. You can use fresh or pickled chillies if you want to, but I find the dried ones have more complex flavours.

Homemade Harissa
15 Dried chillies de árbol, stemmed and seeded 5 Dried guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded 1 tbsp Cumin seeds 2 tsp Coriander seeds 5 Garlic cloves, smashed 3 tbsp Fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp Tomato paste 1 tsp Smoked paprika 1 tsp Sea salt 180 ml Oive oil	6-8 Chicken drumsticks Sea salt and black pepper, to taste 4 tbsp Ghee or olive oil 2 tbsp Homemade harissa 1 tsp Lemon juice 2 Garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper powder 1/2 tsp Spicy paprika 1/2 tsp Sweet paprika 1 tsp Maggi seasoning (or soya sauce) Thyme leaves, chopped

1. Place chillies in a glass or bowl. Pour boiling water over to submerge, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit until chillies are very pliable and cool enough to handle, 15–20 minutes. Drain.
2. Toast cumin and coriander in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing constantly, until very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, add garlic, and pulse until spices are broken up and garlic forms a paste. Add chillies and pulse until it forms a coarse paste. Add lemon juice, tomato paste, paprika, and salt and process until mostly smooth but mixture still has a little texture. With the motor running, stream in 120ml oil. Process until oil is incorporated.
3. Transfer harissa to a jar. Pour remaining olive oil over top. If possible, leave to stand for around 12 hours before using, to allow the flavours to develop. Refrigerate, topping off with more oil after each use. The harissa will keep up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 230C/450. Pat dry chicken thighs. Season them all over generously with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in an oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add chicken and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 15 minutes until the skin is crips and meat cooked through. Meanwhile, place the remaining ghee, lemon juice, minced garlic, cayenne, paprika and Maggi seasoning in a small pan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil and allow it to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
7. Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Add in sauce and toss until they are thoroughly mixed. Arrange chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle some chopped thyme over. Serve immediately.

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com