Lemon & Harissa Chicken with Fregola

A perfect way to liven up your midweek menu, this Moroccan-inspired one-pot wonder uses Julie Le Clerc harissa and preserved lemons to create layers of heat and fragrance. Rustic, toasty fregola is ideal to soak up all the flavours of this warm and comforting dish.

Serves 6

2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
2 medium onions, chopped
600g Mahy Farms skinless boneless chicken thighs, each cut in half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp Julie Le Clerc spicy harissa, plus extra to serve
½ cup Sabato tomato passata
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Pons or Capirete sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup Losada olives, drained
4 wedges Julie Le Clerc preserved lemon, skin only, rinsed and finely sliced
1 ¼ cups Quisardegna fregola
Handful Italian parsley leaves, to garnish

Heat the EVO in a large flameproof casserole pan with a lid. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat until soft but not brown. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.

Season the chicken, add to the hot pan and cook until brown on both sides. Return onions to the pan, add in the harissa, stock, honey, vinegar, tomato paste, oregano, olives and preserved lemon. Give everything a good stir, then bring to the boil. Turn down the heat, cover pan with a lid and simmer very gently for 10 minutes.

Stir in the fregola, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the fregola is al dente and the liquid mostly absorbed. Season again if necessary. Scatter with parsley, to garnish and serve with extra harissa on the side if desired.

Recipe by Julie Le Clerc