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A Taste of the Med | The Hairy Bikers Recipe

18 April 2018
The Hairy Bikers Recipe

Get ready for spring with a fabulously fresh, feel-good recipes from The Hairy Bikers’ new book, Mediterranean Adventure. Today they’re sharing their ‘Spiced Chicken with CousCous’, and oh wow does it look delicious!

‘We love a classic chicken Provençal, but for this one we have taken our inspiration from the Moors. It’s like an exotic bazaar full of herbs and spices, and it’s a dish you simply can’t stop eating.’

Ingredients

  • 2–3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 chicken legs, or 8 thighs, skin on and bone in
  • 1 red onion, sliced into wedges
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and thickly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • (optional)
  • A few sprigs of oregano, leaves only
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 4 tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 25g black or green olives, pitted

  • COUSCOUS
  • 150g couscous
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • Small bunch of flatleaf parsley, leaves only
  • Small bunch of mint, leaves only
  • Small bunch of coriander, leaves only
  •  
  • TO SERVE
  • 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander

chicken Provençal

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add a batch to the pan, skin-side down. Fry for several minutes, until the skin is crisp and well browned, then turn it over and cook for another few minutes. Remove from the pan and cook the rest in the same way, adding more oil if needed.

2. Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan, and fry the onion and pepper until they are starting to soften but are still al dente. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then sprinkle in the spices, oregano and lemon zest, and stir well. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, stirring to scrape up anything stuck to the pan.

3. Stir in the tomatoes, then put the chicken back in the pan, skin-side up. Partially cover the pan with a lid and cook the chicken over a low to medium heat for about half an hour until cooked through and tender. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the olives. Check the seasoning, then leave the chicken to rest for a few minutes.

4. Put the couscous in a bowl and pour over the orange juice and olive oil. Add 200ml just-boiled water and cover. Leave the couscous to stand until all the liquid has been absorbed, then fluff it up with a fork, and stir in the red onion and herbs. Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped herbs and serve with the couscous.