Harissa Chicken and Rice
Posted on Feb 24, 2011 in Moroccan Food | 11 comments
Every month our mosque has a potluck for the community. Living in rural Wisconsin the Muslim community here isn’t overwhelmingly large (though probably larger than you might think) so it is intimate enough to talk and eat knowing full well what everyone brought. Because we are a small community there isn’t one ethnic group that is in the majority which makes the potluck even more fun because there is food from all over the world! We’ve got Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Bulgaria, Morocco, Guinea, Algeria, Libya, and more just to name a few! This also means there is lots of pressure to keep up. As the non-ethnic wife I’m expected to either a) bring an amazing Moroccan dish or b)bring soda pop. There’s really no wiggle room in there. I’ve worn out most of my recipes so I scratched my head all day until 3pm only a few hours before the potluck. I gave up and mixed together a bunch of things I had in the fridge.
This ended up being a big hit with everyone including my husband and it was completely random. I love when that happens! I’m going to be really honest when I say I didn’t measure anything. I really wasn’t hopeful this would turn out! So I’ll give you a list of ingredients and some basic steps but don’t quote me on this one!
Ingredients
- harissa
- cumin
- salt
- onion (chopped)
- garlic
- tumeric
- Italian parsley (fresh, chopped)
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- 2 lbs of chicken pieces with the skin on
Directions
Mix all of the spices, onion, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice together, and drizzle in enough olive oil to make a medium thin paste. In a large bowl add the washed chicken and pour the spice mixture on top. Massage the chicken and refrigerate covered for 1 hour up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, preheat an oven to 375, and place chicken in a pan large enough to lay each piece flat. Cook for 45 minutes and check to see if the chicken has cooked through. When it is finished, turn the oven onto broil and broil the chicken 5-10 minutes to crisp the outside skin. Serve over rice.
I love when I come up with easy, go to dishes like this. It can take on a completely different taste each time that I make it. What is your favorite adaptable dish?
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Isn’t harissa really spicy? I can’t stand spice, nor can my husband:(
That looks like an amazing roasted chicken! Do you make your own harissa?
Lissy – harissa can be spicy but when used in moderation it just adds a nice flavor. You can adjust the amount based on your comfort level with spice!
I have actually not tried to make my own harissa, generally just bringing it home from Morocco, but I do have an itch to try to make it!
Oh, this looks SO good!! I love potlucks because they’re a great way to be introduced to new dishes. And coming up with a creative and successful toss-it-together dish–even better! I wonder if my grocery store carries harissa–I’ve had it in restaurants and loved it, but I’ve never looked for it at the supermarket.
Thanks Jenna! I agree with you on potlucks – they are a great opportunity to try new food without having to spend money in a restaurant, and let’s face it home cooked food is most often better than restaurant food anyway! As I mentioned to Julie a lot of groceries do carry it and if you live in an area where there are any Arabic or Mediterranean groceries they will probably have a few different choices!
This sounds really delicious! Where would I find harissa?
Hi Julie! Harissa can be found in most Arabic or Mediterranean groceries and I’ve even seen it in mainstream grocery stores! Most Whole Foods stores also carry it. If you’re in a rural area (like me!) you can pick this one up on Amazon http://amzn.to/fiDXbv. Most of his products are fairly authentic. Look for a Moroccan or Tunisian harissa (tunisian is usually has a little more kick!
How do you prepare your rice? Do you do the soak thing? I assume you use basmati, right?
Looks delicious!
I usually rinse the rice and use whatever I have on hand – usually either a short grain rice. To be truthful I just boil it until it’s tender!
Twitter: snappygourmet
- April 5, 2012
This chicken looks delicious and just reminded me that I have harissa in my cupboard that I need to use!!
It’s great – let me know what you think