Cooking alfresco doesn't have to mean burnt sausages and undercooked burgers, as these delicious dishes proveThis is one of my all-time favorite dishes to grill - spicy chicken, hot off the grill and served with lemon wedges and cracked green olives is divine. Serve with ice-cold beers and relax. Store the extra harissa in the fridge and use it to flavour stews, pastas, and grilled vegetables, or to spoon through rice dishes. If you can't source the particular types of chillies I prefer, use whatever varieties you like.
SERVES 6-8
◆ 12 boneless chicken thighs, skin on
◆ 60ml honey
◆ Cracked green olives and lemon wedges, to serve
HARISSA
◆ 2 dried Pasilla chillies
◆ 1 dried Ancho chilli
◆ 1 roasted red bell pepper
◆ 2 fresh red Serrano chillies, roughly chopped
◆ 2 tsp ground cumin
◆ 2 tbsp tomato purée
◆ 1 tsp smoked paprika
◆ 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
◆ 2 tbsp olive oil
◆ ½ tsp salt
1. To make the harissa, place the dried Pasilla and Ancho chillies in a bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the chillies, reserving about 60ml of the soaking liquid.
2. Place the chillies, reserved liquid and the remaining harissa ingredients in a blender and whizz until you have a rough paste.
3. Place the chicken thighs in a large ceramic dish. Mix four tablespoons of the harissa paste with the honey. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat.
4. Cover and refrigerate for between six and 24 hours. (Pour the remaining harissa into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to six months.)
5. Remove the chicken from the fridge and thread on to metal skewers. Bring to room temperature. 6. Heat the grill or barbecue to medium-high. Brush the grate with oil.
7. Place the skewers skin-side down on the grill and cook for about eight minutes until golden and crispy. Turn the skewers over and turn down the heat or move to a cooler part of the grill. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
8. Insert a sharp knife into the chicken to check that the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear. 9. Remove the cooked skewers from the grill, cover, and rest for five minutes. 10. Serve topped with olives and lemon wedges (if you wish, the lemon wedges can be briefly charred on the grill).
◆ Summer Feasting From the Fire: Relaxed Recipes for the BBQ plus Salads, Sides, Drinks & More by Valerie Aikman-Smith is published by Rylands Peter & Small, price £25
This recipe appeared in the August 2024 issue of The Lady magazine.
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