Donal Skehan’s Harissa Fried Chicken with Garlic & Herb Aioli

Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp rose harissa paste
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 50ml white wine vinegar or distilled malt vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 650g skinless boneless chicken thighs, sliced into strips
• 1kg baby new potatoes, slice in half
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Harissa powder, to coat
• 1l vegetable oil, for frying

For the aioli:

• 2 large handfuls of mixed picked coriander, mint and parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 free-range egg yolks
• 175ml vegetable oil
• 100ml light olive oil

For the coating:

• 180g plain flour
• 60g cornflour
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas Mark 6.

2. Mix the yoghurt, harissa paste, garlic and vinegar together and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken and set aside to marinate for 1 hour or overnight.

3. Put the potatoes in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of the harissa powder and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden and crispy.

4. Meanwhile, make the aioli. Put the herbs, garlic, vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor and blitz together. Gradually, with the motor running, drizzle in the oils until you have a smooth, thick aioli —you may not need all the oil. Spoon into a small bowl for serving.

5. Blend the dry ingredients for the coating together in a flat dish and season with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan until it reaches 180C/350F on a meat thermometer.

6. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and coat all over in the flour mix. Dip back into the marinade and then, once more in the flour mix, and then into the hot oil and fry in batches for 5 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper before dusting liberally with the harissa powder.

7. Once all the chicken is fried, serve with the crispy new potatoes and bright-green herb aioli.