Harissa-marinated Chicken with Pomelo Salad

SIMPLE AND TASTY WITH LAYERS OF FLAVOR. For Ottolenghi standards this is a really easy recipe.

The original one calls for a red grapefruit salad. I used pomelo instead. I really love pomelo, especially with a bit of spiciness to offset the tangy taste. This is the Ottolenghi recipe.

HERE’S MY TAKE:

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-10 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)

HARISSA MARINADE

• 2-3 tbsp harissa 
• 1/2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Greek yogurt

POMELO/PINK GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

• 2 pomelo/pink grapefruits
• a bag of arugula/rocket
• 1 tsp olive oil
• course sea salt and black pepper

GRAPEFRUIT SAUCE

• 2/3 cup pink grapefruit juice
• generous 1/2 cup lemonade
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (add more, if needed)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• a pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 star anise

*Don’t forget to scroll down for your Savory Sounds cooking soundtrack.

METHOD:

1. Mix the marinade ingredients. Rub it all  over the chicken thighs. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 1-2 hours (you can leave it longer, and even overnight if you want).
2. Peel and slice the grapefruit, reserving the juice to make the sauce.
3. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F. Lay out the chicken thighs on a roasting tray, lined baking sheet and place in the hot oven. After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F. Cook for another 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is almost cooked.
4. While the chicken is roasting, place all the sauce ingredients in a small pan and bring to a light simmer. Simmer for about 20 min, or until reduced to a third.
5. Just before the chicken is done, put the oven on grill/broil for 2-3 minutes to give it extra color. Remove from oven.
6. Toss the rocket and grapefruit segments with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
7. Serve chicken on pile of salad. Drizzle the sauce over each portion.

The harissa and pomelo (or red grapefruit) are a match made in culinary heaven!

SAVORY SOUNDS

MIGUEL CAMPBELL IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DJS, and I went through a phase where I only listened to his music.

Here are a few of my faves. This is probably his most well-known remix:

This is another of my top Miguel Campbell picks:

And then… there’s Take Me: