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Harissa fried chicken with roast potato and maple bacon salad

Harissa fried chicken brings a crisp, spicy crust and juicy centre, while roast potatoes, maple bacon and pickled red onion add salty, sweet and sharp contrast. A fresh herb aioli cools each bite, making this generous sharing dish feel bold, comforting and deeply satisfying.

Prep: 30 mins to 1 hour
Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves: 4
Dietary: Nut-free, pregnancy-friendly
Harissa fried chicken with roast potato and maple bacon saladBy Donal Skehan
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

Nutri-Score EHarissa fried chicken with roast potato and maple bacon salad is rich in protein but also high in fat and salt because it uses deep-fried chicken, bacon, oil and an aioli made with egg yolks and oil. On balance, this recipe fits best as a Nutri-Score E dish.

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 200g Greek yoghurt.
  • 2 tbsp rose harissa paste.
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated.
  • 50ml white wine vinegar or distilled malt vinegar.
  • 650g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips.
  • 180g plain flour.
  • 60g cornflour.
  • 1 tsp ground cumin.
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander.
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika.
  • 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep-frying.
  • A pinch of harissa powder, for dusting.
  • 20g mixed coriander, mint and parsley leaves.
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed.
  • 2 medium free-range egg yolks.
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar.
  • 175ml vegetable oil.
  • 100ml light olive oil.
  • 1kg small Rooster potatoes, halved lengthways.
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped.
  • 2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked.
  • 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped.
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard.
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling.
  • 8 slices streaky or back bacon.
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup.
  • 1 red onion, finely sliced.
  • 1 lemon, juice only.
  • 1 tbsp sea salt.
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
  • Chives, to serve.
  • Dill, to serve.

Customise

  • Greek yoghurt: use plain natural yoghurt if needed.
  • Maple syrup: use honey for a slightly different sweet glaze.

 

Method

  1. Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, mix the Greek yoghurt, rose harissa paste, grated garlic and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, add the chicken strips and turn them well so every piece gets coated. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight if you want a deeper flavour and an easier cooking day.
  2. Set up the oven and prep the sides: Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. While it warms up, make the herb paste for the potatoes and get the bacon, onion and aioli ingredients ready so you can move smoothly from one stage to the next.
  3. Make the potato dressing: Put the garlic, thyme, rosemary and a good pinch of salt into a pestle and mortar and crush to a rough paste. Add the Dijon mustard, olive oil and a little black pepper, then bash again until everything comes together into a fragrant herb oil.
  4. Roast the potatoes: Put the potatoes on a large baking tray, drizzle over the herb oil and toss until they look evenly coated. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and crisp, giving them a little shake halfway through if you want extra even colour.
  5. Glaze the bacon: Put the bacon on a baking tray lined with baking paper and season with black pepper. Bake for 5 minutes, brush with maple syrup, then return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes more, until glossy and browned. Leave it to cool and harden slightly, then break it into bite-sized pieces.
  6. Quick-pickle the onion: Put the sliced red onion, lemon juice and salt into a bowl. Massage it gently with your hands until it softens a little, then leave it to sit while everything else finishes cooking.
  7. Blend the aioli: Put the herbs, garlic, egg yolks and vinegar into a food processor and blitz until combined. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil and light olive oil until you have a thick, creamy aioli. You may not need every drop of oil, so stop as soon as the texture looks right.
  8. Mix the coating: In a shallow dish, combine the plain flour, cornflour, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Season well with salt and pepper so the coating tastes lively, not flat.
  9. Heat the oil safely: Pour the vegetable oil into a large, deep, heavy-based saucepan, making sure it is no more than half full. Heat it to 180C on a cooking thermometer and keep a close eye on it, because hot oil can be dangerous if left unattended.
  10. Coat and fry the chicken: Lift the chicken out of the marinade and let any excess drip off. Coat it in the flour mixture, dip it back into the marinade, then coat it again in the flour mixture for a craggy, crisp finish. Fry in batches for about 5 minutes, until golden, crisp and cooked through, then drain on kitchen paper and dust with harissa powder.
  11. Assemble and serve: Put the roast potatoes on a platter, scatter over the maple bacon, pickled red onion, chives and dill, then drizzle generously with the potato dressing. Serve the harissa fried chicken with the herb aioli and the roast potato and maple bacon salad while everything is still hot and crisp.

Tip: If you want a cleaner finish, fry the chicken in small batches so the oil temperature stays steady and the coating stays crisp.

 

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