Try this delicious one-pot wonder from Gee Cartwright – the perfect mid-week meal for the family

Gee is a married mother of three boys with a lifelong love and passion for cooking which she shares through her popular demonstrations run in Hampshire and London. Here she shares her Sticky Harissa Chicken recipe

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

4 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp. harissa depending on strength
3 tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves crushed
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
8 large chicken thighs skin on
2 large onions chopped into 8
2 large red peppers roughly sliced
2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
4 lemon halves
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix 2 tbsp. olive oil, the harissa, honey, garlic, lemon zest and juice in a dish big enough to marinate the chicken.
Trim the excess skin on the chicken thighs. Put all the chicken in the dish and mix to combine. Cover the dish loosely with cling film and put in the fridge for a couple of hours more if possible (overnight is good if you have time.)
Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas 6
When ready to cook, place the onions and peppers in a small roasting tin, drizzle with the remaining oil, season and mix to combine.
Transfer the chicken and the marinade into the tin on top of the vegetables making sure the chicken fits snugly in a single layer.
Roast for around 45-50 minutes in the preheated oven or top right of the Aga, basting the chicken every so often.
In the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time, heat a frying pan until very hot and put the lemon halves into it (no oil). Let them cook until they begin to char, around 5 minutes. Serve the chicken with the scorched lemon.

RECIPE NOTES & TOP TIPS

SUBSTITUTION FOR HARISSA: If you can’t get hold of Harissa then use some chopped fresh red chillies, cumin, caraway seeds with some olive oil and crush / mix them together to form a pesto like paste. You could also whizz together some red peppers (grilled or out of jar), some red chillies, paprika, caraway and lemon juice and whizz in a blender to make a paste. Anything you have got really or even just any hot sauce you have in the house.

QUICK HOMEMADE HARISSA
250g grilled red peppers
5 small red chillies
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons caraway seeds or cumin
1 tablespoon lemon juice

You could always add a few big handful of new potatoes to the tray and mix with the peppers and onions when cooking to make it into a one tray wonder as they will soak up the juices and be cooked and sticky by the end of roasting.

Gee’s recipes are put together with the busy home cook in mind with top tips on how to get ahead, ingredient substitutions, freezing and how to make entertaining as relaxing as possible.

FORTHCOMING DEMONSTRATIONS

Gee is hoping to demonstrate in October/November again and will shortly post her dates on her website.

WINTER FEASTING – Warming, seasonal recipes for friends and family over the Festive season.

Mayfield House, Hampshire, SO20 6LT

NOVEMBER DATES TBC Cost £45 pp

Trinity Road, London, SW18 3RQ

NOVEMBER DATES TBC Cost £55 pp

www.geecartwrightcookery.co.uk

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Try this delicious one-pot wonder from Gee Cartwright – the perfect mid-week meal for the family

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