Harissa chicken bake with bulgur wheat topping

Harissa chicken bake with bulgur wheat topping

Simply tasty dinner idea

PREP TIME 20 minutes | COOK TIME 1 hour 10 minutes | SERVES 4 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1.8 kg whole chicken
• 2 red onions, cut into wedges
• 400 g mini orange sweet potatoes, halved lengthways
• ¼ cup harissa paste
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 L chicken stock
• 320 g coarse bulgur wheat
• ½ cup natural seed mix (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts)
• 500 g baby roma truss tomatoes
• olive oil cooking spray

METHOD

USING a sharp, heavy knife or poultry shears, cut down both sides of the chicken backbone; discard backbone. 

TURN chicken skin-side up; press down on breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten.    

CUT chicken into quarters. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl with the onion, sweet potato, harissa, vinegar and oil; toss well to coat evenly. Stand for 20 minutes.

PREHEAT the oven to 180°C.

TRANSFER chicken and vegetables to a 2.5-litre shallow ovenproof dish; position chicken skin-side up. 

POUR 1½ cups of the stock over chicken; bake for 45 minutes.

FOR the crunchy bulgur wheat topping, bring the remaining 2½ cups of stock to the boil in a small saucepan. Add bulgur wheat; cook, covered, for 1 minute or until slightly softened. 

DRAIN, then stand for 2 minutes. Stir in seed mix; season. Set aside until required.

REMOVE dish from oven; sprinkle with the topping, poking it into the gaps. Add tomatoes; spray with oil. 

RETURN to the oven; bake for a further 20 minutes or until cooked through and the topping is golden.

FOOD TEAM TIP: Harissa is a Moroccan paste made from dried chillies, cumin, garlic, oil and caraway seeds. It is most often used as a marinade for meats and vegetables, and is available from middle eastern food shops and supermarkets.

Print Recipe

Harissa chicken bake with bulgur wheat topping

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.8 kg whole chicken
• 2 red onions, cut into wedges
• 400 g mini orange sweet potatoes, halved lengthways
• ¼ cup harissa paste
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 L chicken stock
• 320 g coarse bulgur wheat
• ½ cup natural seed mix (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts)
• 500g baby roma truss tomatoes
• olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

1

Using a sharp, heavy knife or poultry shears, cut down both sides of the chicken backbone; discard backbone. 

2

Turn chicken skin-side up; press down on breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten.    

3

Cut chicken into quarters. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl with the onion, sweet potato, harissa, vinegar and oil; toss well to coat evenly. Stand for 20 minutes.

4

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

5

Transfer chicken and vegetables to a 2.5-litre shallow ovenproof dish; position chicken skin-side up. 

6

Pour 1½ cups of the stock over chicken; bake for 45 minutes.

7

For the crunchy bulgur wheat topping, bring the remaining 2½ cups of stock to the boil in a small saucepan. Add bulgur wheat; cook, covered, for 1 minute or until slightly softened. 

8

Drain, then stand for 2 minutes. Stir in seed mix; season. Set aside until required.

9

Remove dish from oven; sprinkle with the topping, poking it into the gaps. Add tomatoes; spray with oil. 

10

Return to the oven; bake for a further 20 minutes or until cooked through and the topping is golden.

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Feature image: Aremedia