This charcoal-grilled chicken rubbed with harissa served with fresh arugula is smoky, slightly spicy, and super-flavorful all the way through.
Provided by Justin Smillie
Categories main-dish
Time 4h
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 26
Steps:
- Light the grill: Place a chimney starter on the grate of a charcoal grill. Add newspaper in the bottom, then fill with charcoal. Light the newspaper, which will light the charcoal. Allow charcoal to burn for 30-45 minutes; when the charcoal is mature with ashed-over gray embers, remove the chimney and spread the charcoal around the bottom of the grill. Place the grill plate on top (the coals will be very hot, so use oven mitts).
- Harissa paste: In a cast-iron skillet, toast caraway, cumin, coriander, oregano and sesame seeds over medium heat until they're aromatic, stirring occasionally, 1-1½ minutes. Place the toasted spices in a mortar. In the same skillet, toast the peppers over medium heat until they begin to "balloon up," 3-4 minutes. Cut off the stem ends of the chiles and remove the seeds by tapping them out. Tear the chiles into strips and place in a bowl. Cover with hot water, and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the peeled garlic and salt to the spice mixture and use the pestle to grind everything together. Stir in the Espelette pepper, followed by the tomato paste. Drain the chiles, squeezing out the water; roughly chop and add to the mortar bowl. Pound and grind until the paste is thick and chunky. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, enough to just saturate the paste. Add more salt to taste, and a few grinds of black pepper; stir a bit more to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the chicken for grilling: Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a rack. Tuck the wings back on themselves, then use poultry scissors to cut out the backbone; discard or reserve to make stock. Turn the chicken over, skin side up, and smash the keel bone (breastbone) of the chicken to flatten it out. Flip the chicken skin side down and make a small incision on the top of each inner thigh, which will help the heat penetrate. Dry the chicken thoroughly, then apply the harissa paste on both sides, finishing with the chicken skin side down. Place first skewer through the chicken, beginning at the top part of the thigh, through the bone in the middle of the chicken, to the top part of the breast, finishing just below the wing. Repeat on the other side. (It's important the skewers are fitted below the bone, so they stay in place during grilling.) Refrigerate uncovered, 3 hours to overnight.
- Make the garlic confit/butter mop: For the garlic confit, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a small saucepan add the garlic cloves, olive oil, lemon peel, and bay leaf, making sure garlic is submerged. Cover and bake until the garlic is tender and golden, 1-1½ hours. For the butter mop, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add half of the garlic confit, breaking up the garlic. (The remainder of the confit will last in a jar, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.) Let it sizzle, 2-3 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook until it's dry and the mixture becomes a thick paste. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking with each addition. Bring the butter to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Whisk in the mustard and a few grinds of black pepper, then set aside until it's time to baste the chicken. (Note: Butter mop can be made a day ahead. Store, covered, at room temperature.)
- Grill the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Move the pre-heated coals to one side of the grill, then place two bricks on the grate, long side down. Rest the skewers on the bricks so that the chicken is suspended above, but not touching, the grill. This method of indirect cooking will yield a tender, juicy, evenly cooked chicken. Cover and cook 45 minutes, basting with butter mop every 10 minutes.
- Finish the chicken: Chicken is done when a thermometer reads 165 F. Alternatively, wiggle the leg; if there is a slight give, the chicken is done. Let rest for several minutes on a cutting board.While chicken is resting, grill lemon halves, cut side down, on the hottest part of the grill. Put greens in a large mixing bowl. Once chicken has rested and the lemons are nicely caramelized, quarter the chicken and cut the breast portions in half. Remove to a serving platter. Squeeze juice from lemon halves directly onto the drippings on the cutting board. Add olive oil and drizzle vinegar on top of the lemon juice to make "Cutting Board Vinaigrette." With a knife or spoon, scrape vinaigrette from the board onto the greens. Toss and serve with the chicken.
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Eman ali Unar
[email protected]This recipe is easy to follow and the chicken turned out great. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and they were cooked through in about 10 minutes. I served the chicken with rice and vegetables and it was a delicious meal.
Audemar Banks
[email protected]This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken. I had some leftover grilled chicken and I used it to make this dish. The chicken was delicious and the harissa sauce was a great addition.
alam mahabob
[email protected]I made this recipe for a party and it was a hit! Everyone loved the chicken and the harissa sauce. I'll definitely be making this again for my next party.
MARVELLOUS BUSAYO
[email protected]This recipe is easy to follow and the chicken turned out great. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and they were cooked through in about 15 minutes. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables and it was a delicious meal.
Rakesh Bohara
[email protected]I'm not a fan of spicy food, but I decided to try this recipe anyway. I'm glad I did! The chicken was delicious and the harissa sauce was actually not that spicy. I'll definitely be making this again.
Kurd Video
[email protected]This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken. I had some leftover roasted chicken and I used it to make this dish. The chicken was delicious and the harissa sauce was a great addition.
Axmed Aadan
[email protected]I made this recipe for a party and it was a hit! Everyone loved the chicken and the harissa sauce. I'll definitely be making this again for my next party.
Shah Sahib
[email protected]This recipe was easy to follow and the chicken turned out great. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and they were cooked through in about 10 minutes. I served the chicken with rice and vegetables and it was a delicious meal.
Wayne Dawson
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of harissa, but I decided to try this recipe anyway. I'm glad I did! The chicken was delicious and the harissa sauce was actually pretty good. I'll definitely be making this again.
Muhammad Zohaib
[email protected]This recipe is a keeper! The chicken was moist and flavorful, and the harissa sauce was delicious. I served it with grilled vegetables and it was a perfect summer meal.
Nahar
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and the chicken turned out dry. I think I may have overcooked it. I'll try it again and cook it for less time.
ELIOR FOREX
[email protected]This recipe was a bit too spicy for me, but my husband loved it. He said it was the best grilled chicken he's ever had. I'll definitely be making it again, but I'll use less harissa next time.
MAE Ferolino
[email protected]I've tried this recipe twice now and it's quickly become a favorite. The chicken is always tender and flavorful, and the harissa sauce is amazing. I love the smoky flavor that the grill adds to the chicken. I've also tried baking the chicken in the o
Jefferson Chukwuka
[email protected]Grilled chicken with harissa is a delicious and easy-to-make dish. I marinated the chicken for 24 hours and it was so flavorful and juicy. I grilled the chicken over medium heat until it was cooked through and then basted it with the harissa sauce. T