I absolutely adore this harissa chicken and rice salad. For me, it’s pure summer on a plate; bursting with vibrant sun-ripened colours and flavours. Think of combining refreshing cucumber, mint and lime, with the mildspice of red chilli, ginger and harissa. Afterwards, you can cool and complement all this with thick and creamy Greek yoghurt and fresh herbs.
I’m giving you the recipe for 4 people, but we sometimes double up the quantities if friends are coming round for a barbecue. It’s a complete meal in itself if you want it to be, but it also makes a great accompaniment to other marinated chargrilled meats or fish. You could also just make the salad without the chicken, and serve it with these these ginger and coriander crab cakes. I like to enjoy my harissa chicken and rice salad with a freezer cooled beer topped with a slice of lime.
Think of combining refreshing cucumber, mint and lime, with the mild spice of red chilli, ginger and harissa. Then cooling and complimenting all this with thick and creamy Greek yoghurt and fresh herbs...
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, boneless but with skins on
95ml Greek yoghurt plus a couple of tablespoons to serve
2 tbsp rose harissa and a little extra to serve
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red chilli powder
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
225g basmati and wild mixed rice
½ cm ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
½ cucumber, deseeded and cut into small cubes or slices
1 tbsp sesame oil
Small splash of soy sauce
The juice of 1 lime and the zest of ½ of that lime
Handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Mix the harissa, garlic, olive oil, ginger, soy sauce, yoghurt and mint in a bowl, then add the chicken thighs, coating them all in the marinade. Set aside for at least 20 minutes to absorb the flavours.
Whilst the chicken marinates, cook the rice in salted boiling water until tender, normally around 10 to 12 minutes. Drain it, then rinse it through briefly with cold water.
Drain it again and put it into your salad serving bowl.
Once cool, mix in the cucumber cubes, lime juice and zest, and the red chilli powder.
Turn the grill onto high. Arrange the chicken on a grilling tray and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked throughout and golden in colour. I recommend crisping up the fatty side first.
Once the chicken is cooked, cut it into thickish slices and mix about half of it straight into the salad. Top the salad with the rest of the chicken and sprinkle over the fresh coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix a little more yoghurt and harissa together and serve in a little bowl with a teaspoon along with the salad.
Notes
Requires about 20 minutes marinating time in addition to the preparation time.
I absolutely adore this harissa chicken and rice salad. For me, it’s pure summer on a plate; bursting with vibrant sun-ripened colours and flavours. Think of combining refreshing cucumber, mint and lime, with the mild spice of red chilli, ginger and harissa. Afterwards, you can cool and complement all this with thick and creamy Greek yoghurt and fresh herbs.
Canada
Russia
Greece
Spain
Mexico
Brazil
Argentina
I´m more and more becoming a fan of rice salads.