Chicken & Harissa Makarouna

📝 Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs (about 250 g each, bone in and skin on)
• 320 g dried pasta (macaroni or penne)
• 1 brown onion (about 120 g)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 70 g tomato purée (about 4 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp harissa (30 g)
• 1 tsp caraway seeds + 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 chicken stock cube + 1.2 l hot water
• 10 g fresh parsley
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large casserole dish with lid
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Pestle and mortar
• Wooden spoon

📖 Steps

1. Remove the skin from the chicken legs by pulling it off with a piece of kitchen paper for a good grip, then cut each leg in two at the joint to separate the thigh from the drumstick. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Roughly crush the caraway seeds with a pestle and mortar (or under the flat of a knife): this releases all their aroma. Dissolve the stock cube in 1.2 l hot water.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces for 3 min on each side, then add the onion and cook for 5 min, stirring, until soft and starting to turn golden.
4. Add the garlic, caraway, coriander and paprika and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato purée and harissa, then cook for 2 min, stirring constantly: the paste should darken slightly and the oil turn red, which is what gives the sauce its depth.
5. Pour in the hot stock, add the bay leaf and scrape the bottom with the wooden spoon to release the browned bits. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30 min over a low to medium heat, until the chicken is tender and comes away easily from the bone.
6. Remove the bay leaf, then lift out the chicken pieces and keep them covered with a plate. Taste the sauce: it should be well seasoned and slightly too salty, as the pasta will absorb the salt. Tip the uncooked pasta into the casserole, stir and bring back to a simmer.
7. Cook uncovered for 12 to 15 min over a medium heat, stirring every 2 min so the pasta doesn't stick. It's ready when tender and coated in the well-reduced sauce. If the sauce reduces too quickly, lower the heat and cover.
8. Return the chicken to the top of the pasta, turn off the heat, cover and leave to rest for 5 min: the pasta finishes absorbing the sauce and the chicken warms through. Scatter over chopped parsley and serve piping hot, with two pieces of chicken per plate and a big ladleful of pasta.