Chicken, leeks, potatoes, and harissa, on a sheet pan, looks like dinner! You’ll need 30 minutes to let the chicken and potatoes marinate, but after that you’ll have a one pan dinner in under an hour. Serves 3:
Harissa Chicken with Leeks and Potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1”x ½” chunks
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons harissa (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise, cleaned, and thinly sliced into half-moons
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole milk
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 cup mixed soft fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, mint, and/or cilantro leaves
- Fresh lemon juice, as needed
In a large bowl, whisk together the harissa, cumin, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Add the chicken and potatoes and toss to combine. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the leeks, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil.
Heat the oven to 425°F/218°C.
Arrange the chicken and potatoes in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet, and roast for 20 minutes. Then toss the potatoes lightly and scatter the leeks over the baking sheet, don’t bury the chicken or potatoes. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and everything is golden and crisped, about 20 minutes longer.
While the chicken cooks, place the yogurt in a small bowl, if you’re using Greek yogurt, add a little milk to thin it down—you want to be able to drizzle it on. Grate the garlic clove over the yogurt, and season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spoon the yogurt over the chicken and vegetables in the baking sheet. Scatter the herbs over the yogurt, lemon juice over the top, serve and enjoy!
My verdict:
Loved this! Potatoes were roasted and crispy, chicken was delicious! I tossed some cubed zucchini in when the leeks went in to add a green veg and they were tender and good. You could add almost any vegetable, asparagus, broccoli—just toss in a little olive oil before you add it to the mix. The lemon zest really went well with the leeks—something I’m going to remember for other dishes.
I used lots of mint, some parsley and some Vietnamese cilantro (because it’s growing outside). Might skip all but the mint next time. The harissa that we have is pretty spicy and very salty, so I used 2 slight tablespoons of harissa and maybe a teaspoon of salt for everything. Check the harissa you’re using and adjust to suit your taste.
For easier clean up, line the sheet pan with parchment paper, but you don’t really need to.
I’m so glad you liked it! Cuttting the leeks into bigger pieces will help them stay together. There are lots of different harissas, and you can make your own.
Anne,
Made this last night, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Potatoes and chicken both perfectly cooked. The leeks sort of melted into the pan, so I believe that I will cut them into larger pieces, next time.
I used parsley and mint as the chopped herbs at the end, but will definitely skip the mint next time; much too forward for me.
This was my first exposure to harissa, and I thank you for that opportunity.
Regards,
Joe