RECIPE: Harissa and Lemon Chicken with Sticky Onions and Spring Onion CousCous

This was something I cobbled together last night and we enjoyed so much I thought I'd write down and share the recipe. I used a small chicken crown, available from some supermarkets, but you could use individual joints, or a small whole chicken. Adjust the cooking time to suit - the onions are very forgiving and will be happy with a bit more or less cooking.

Ingredients (to serve 2)

1 small chicken crown
1 tbs harissa paste
juice of 1 lemon (I used just half of one of those huge Sicilian lemons, which are far more juicy)
2 medium onions, sliced
2 tbs sunflower oil
1 tbs pomegranate molasses
100g couscous
130ml  boiling water
2 tsp olive oil
large pinch of salt
small knob of butter
6 spring onions, including green parts, finely sliced
4 large sprigs parsley. chopped
green salad to accompany

Heat oven to 200C (180 Fan)/400F/Gas Mark 6
Choose a small non-stick roasting tin, or line a conventional roasting tin with foil.
Toss the onions, sunflower oil and pomegranate molasses together and spread in the bottom of the tin. Place the chicken on top, skin side up, and rub all over with the harissa paste. Drizzle over the lemon juice, allowing any left over to trickle down into the onions.
Place in the hot oven and cook for 40-45 minutes until chicken is cooked.

Meanwhile, put the couscous into a saucepan and add the boiling water, olive oil and salt. Stir, cover and leave for 15 minutes. When the chicken and onions are ready,  add the butter to the couscous and heat gently over a low heat, breaking up the lumps very gently with a fork, until piping hot, and then stir in the spring onions and parsley.

Remove the chicken from the oven, take it off the top of the onions and carve or joint. Add a little (about ½ cup) hot water to the pan and stir to make the onions into a sticky "sauce". Bring to the boil, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to scrape up the caramelised juices and dissolve as much as possible in the sauce.

Serve the chicken with the couscous and the sticky onion sauce, accompanied by green salad.