Butterflied Spiced Chicken and Pomegranate Couscous with Rose Harissa
Get spicy, fruity and minty flavours working together on this fresh twist on chicken and couscous. Quick and easy, ready in about 10 minutes, it’s perfect midweek dinner.
Ingredients
4 tbsp Cornicabra Extra Virgin Olive Oil
400g vine ripened cherry tomatoes, divided into 4 kept on the vine
2 fat shallots, very finely diced
3 cloves of garlic
350g Carnaroli Double-Milled Risotto Rice
200ml white wine
1L good quality fresh chicken stock
85g fresh parmesan, grated
50g unsalted butter
1 large chilli, finely chopped
15g (small handul) of flat-leaf parsley, tender stems and leaves finely chopped
150g smoked pancetta, cubed
1 x jar of Balsamic Pearls, drained
Instructions
- Place the couscous in a bowl and pour over 350ml boiling water and a little salt, cover and leave for about 5 minutes then fluff up with a fork. For a spicier version you can stir 1-2 tbsp rose harissa paste into the couscous too!
- Preheat a griddle pan over a medium heat. Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts through the middle horizontally, taking care not to cut all the way through, and then open them out (butterfly). Rub the harissa paste all over both sides of the chicken.
- Cook the chicken on the hot griddle for 4-5 minutes on each side or until lightly charred and cooked through.
- For the couscous, fluff it up with a fork and fold through the chopped mint, about two-thirds of the pomegranate seeds and some extra virgin olive oil.
- Spoon the couscous onto plates and place the hot chicken on top. Scatter over remaining pomegranate seeds and reserved mint leaves.
Included in this Recipe
Balsamic Pearls
Tiny jelly-enclosed spheres of Balsamic vinegar that explode with flavour when you bite into them.
Cornicabra Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml
Spanish single varietal extra virgin olive oil made from olives grown in Andalucia, this oil is perfect for cooking and for making dressings.