Harissa Butter Chicken with Crispy Potatoes

Ingredients

• 🍗Chicken Breast, boneless, patted dry1
• 🥔Yukon Gold Potato, scrubbed and cut into chunks2
• 🫙Harissa2 tbsp
• 🧈Unsalted Butter, softened2 tbsp
• 🧄Garlic, finely minced4 clove
• 🍋Lemon, zest and juice1
• 🌿Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped2 tbsp
• 🫒Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 tbsp
• 🍲Chicken Stock120 ml
• 💧Wateras needed
• 🧂Sea Salt (fine)to taste
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground), freshly groundto taste

Contains Celery, Dairy, Garlic, Gluten, Onion. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Scrub the potatoes

   Scrub the Yukon Gold Potato under cold water and cut it into even chunks on a chopping board so they cook at the same pace. Keep the pieces roughly the same size, with clean cut faces rather than ragged breaks, so they soften evenly later and do not leave you with a mix of firm centres and mushy edges.

   4 min
2. 2

   Mince the garlic

   Peel and mince the Garlic Clove finely on the chopping board, keeping the pieces tiny so they melt into the butter instead of burning in sharp chunks. You want a damp, fragrant pile with no big shards left behind; if the pieces stick to the knife, scrape them together and go over them once more.

   3 min
3. 3

   Mix the harissa butter

   Stir the Harissa with the softened Unsalted Butter in a mixing bowl until the mixture turns smooth, streaky red, and spreadable. Work it with the back of a spoon for about a minute until no pale butter patches remain and the aroma smells spicy and rounded, not clumpy or raw.

   2 min
4. 4

   Zest and juice lemon

   Grate the bright outer skin from the Lemon before cutting it and squeezing out the juice into a small bowl. Stop when the zest looks fluffy and yellow rather than bitter white, and keep out any seeds so the finishing sauce stays smooth.

   3 min
5. 5

   Set a medium saucepan over high heat with the chopped Yukon Gold Potato covered by cold water and bring it up to a lively boil. Cook for about 8 minutes until the chunks are just tender at the edges but still hold their shape when nudged with a fork.

   8 min
6. 6

   Drain them well; if they start collapsing, you have gone a little far, so shorten the boil next time.

7. 7

   Set a large skillet over medium-high heat with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and wait until it shimmers. Lay in the Chicken Breast and leave it alone for about 3 minutes.

   3 min
8. 8

   Turn it once the underside has formed a deep golden crust that releases cleanly from the base; if it sticks, give it another moment instead of forcing it and tearing the surface.

9. 9

   Coat with harissa butter

   Lower the heat to medium and spoon the Harissa Butter over the Chicken Breast, turning it so the coating clings in a thick red sheen. Cook for about 2 minutes, basting as the butter foams and the surface turns brick red and fragrant; if the butter threatens to scorch, pull the skillet off the heat for a moment and swirl it back together.

   2 min
10. 10

    Add the drained Yukon Gold Potato to the empty side of the large skillet and press them down with a potato masher so the cut edges split open and meet the hot surface. Leave them for about 6 minutes over medium heat until the undersides turn crackly and deep gold.

    6 min
11. 11

    Flip carefully; if they stick, let them go another minute rather than scraping and breaking them apart.

12. 12

    Stir the minced Garlic Clove into the skillet for about 30 seconds, just until it smells sweet and sharpens the whole pan.

    2 min
13. 13

    Pour in the Chicken Stock and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let the liquid bubble for about 2 minutes until it turns slightly glossy and the harsh edge cooks off; if the garlic darkens quickly, lower the heat right away so it does not go bitter.

14. 14

    Stir the lemon zest and juice through the skillet.

15. 15

    Let the sauce simmer for about 1 minute until it turns brighter in smell and lightly coats the spoon. Taste the balance with a little table salt and black pepper if needed, and if it tastes flat, give it another few seconds so the acidity settles into the spicy fat instead of standing on top.

    1 min
16. 16

    Finish and serve

    Scatter the chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley over the top and serve the chicken with the crispy potatoes straight from the skillet. The parsley should stay bright and fresh against the red glaze, and the potatoes should still sound lightly crackly when the spoon hits them; if the skillet has gone quiet, plate immediately so the crust does not soften.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving