Harissa grilled chicken with pearl couscous salad

This meal can be a showstopper dinner for family and friends or Sunday lunch if you are bored of the same taste, then this recipe is just for you. Oh so juicy, moist, flavourful whole chicken, roasted along with potatoes and a beautiful giant couscous salad to go with it makes this meal so delicious I can’t even tell.

This recipe is so easy to make just marinate the chicken, throw in the potatoes along with the chicken and let it cook in the juices. Make the salad on the side and there you have a wonderful meal put together without much of an effort. An utterly easy harissa yogurt dip to go with it. This meal was enjoyed by my family, they said it was one of my best!

What is Harissa paste?

Harissa is a chilli and spice paste from North Africa, originally from Tunisia typically made from dried red chilli, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway seeds, olive oil etc. it can be used to marinate meat and veggies, use as a dip, it’s very versatile great to have it in your cupboard.

I have used a store bought harissa paste because I am all about cooking a quick family meal now with a small baby, but If you have the time you can make your harissa paste and use it anytime you want. Once my baby is older I will be making my own too but for now store bought is just as good! I have used this one.

Marinate the chicken a day before will help it absorb all the flavours, or I recommend at least one hour before roasting. Making slits on the chicken helps with the spices getting into the meat not just the skin.

For the salad I love couscous and especially the Israeli ones or Pearl couscous as they are called, they have more of a texture than the smaller couscous, you can use the small, regular couscous if you have it handy in your cupboard. To cook the couscous I prefer cooking them using chicken bone broth, my favourite one if you know me it’s Sadie’s Kitchen. If you don’t have chicken bone broth you can use chicken stock cube. I like the taste the couscous when cooked with bone broth or chicken stock rather than just plain water, it’s more tasty and flavourful. There are many useful tips and important points to remember while cooking giant couscous I highly recommend reading The Hungry bites

We had leftovers as well so the next day I collected all the meat from the chicken and made a pasta salad with it, again so yummy. I have a similar one liked here.

If you liked this recipe then you might like -

Tandoori Chicken (whole) 

Sriracha honey Grilled Chicken with stir fry veggies rice noodles (Gluten Free)

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did at home. Do not hesitate to leave a comment or tag me on social media if you make it, I would love to see your creations. Please remember to use my hashtag #soulfulandhealthy 

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Love and hugs 

S

  Harissa grilled chicken with pearl couscous salad

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 mins Servings: Serves 4 INGREDIENTS For the chicken marination -   1.5 kg Whole chicken 150 grams Harissa paste (linked)   For the couscous-   1 cup Pearl couscous 1 1/4 cup Chicken bone broth 1 pinch ground turmeric 1 tsp extra Virgin olive oil   For the salad -   1 medium cucumber finely chopped 8 cherry tomatoes chopped 1/2 cup pomegranate pearls (1/2 freshly cut pomegranate removed the seeds) 1/2 finely chopped yellow pepper 1/2 red pepper finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander   For the salad dressing -   1 and 1/2 tbsp extra Virgin olive oil 1/2 Lemon juice Himalayan salt to taste Freshly ground pepper to taste 1 tsp white wine vinegar     For the dip -   250 grams natural yogurt 1 tbsp harissa paste   7 to 8 potatoes cut into chunks - I used Maris piper

Prep Time:

1 hour 20 mins

Servings:

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken marination -

 

• 1.5 kg Whole chicken
• 150 grams Harissa paste (linked)

 

For the couscous-

 

• 1 cup Pearl couscous
• 1 1/4 cup Chicken bone broth
• 1 pinch ground turmeric
• 1 tsp extra Virgin olive oil

 

For the salad -

 

• 1 medium cucumber finely chopped
• 8 cherry tomatoes chopped
• 1/2 cup pomegranate pearls (1/2 freshly cut pomegranate removed the seeds)
• 1/2 finely chopped yellow pepper
• 1/2 red pepper finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander

 

For the salad dressing -

 

• 1 and 1/2 tbsp extra Virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Lemon juice
• Himalayan salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

 

 

For the dip -

 

• 250 grams natural yogurt
• 1 tbsp harissa paste

 

7 to 8 potatoes cut into chunks - I used Maris piper

 

instructions

1. Make slits on the chicken breasts, things and wings, marinate the chicken with the Harissa paste and keep refrigerated overnight or at least for an hour.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, arrange the potatoes in the tray and place the chicken over the potatoes, if any leftover marinade from the chicken just toss it over the potatoes, place the chicken over the potatoes and roast for about an hour and half. Remember each oven heat is different so the time might differ.
3. While the chicken is cooking, pan fry the couscous with olive oil on medium heat, when some of the couscous starts to change colour, add the broth, stock or water and turmeric and let it cook until soft, this might take 8 to 10 mins on low heat. Add olive oil, so they don’t stick to each other and fluff them using a fork. Set aside let it cool.
4. In a small bowl add the ingredients under dressing and mix well, give it a taste and adjust accordingly to your taste. In a large bowl, add all the chopped veggies for salad, add the dressing and the couscous and mix well.
5. For the dip mix the harrisa and the yogurt and set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
6. Once the chicken has cooked, let cool for few mins, serve with the potatoes, and the salad and harissa yogurt. Drizzle some of the excess juices from the chicken over the chicken and potatoes, Enjoy!