Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken With Harissa Food

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH YOGURT MARINADE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, oregano, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper. Zest the lemon over the bowl, reserving the rest of the lemon for serving. Whisk until smooth.
• Add the chicken thighs, toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 24. Remove chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• If using a grill, clean and oil the grates. Set the grill to medium-high or heat a grill pan slicked with olive oil on the stovetop over medium-high. Grill the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the thighs), covering the grill halfway through if necessary to retain heat, until cooked through.
• Transfer the chicken thighs to a platter and squeeze half the lemon over them. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley, and serve with lemon wedges on the side if desired.

YOGURT MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN WITH HARISSA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine yogurt, ginger, cumin, chile flakes and salt. Whisk until smooth and pour into a baking dish. Lay the chicken halves, skin-side up, in the yogurt mixture. Cover the plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours to marinate.
• Preheat a very clean grill to medium. When the grill is hot, brush with the oil.
• Remove the chicken from the yogurt, leaving any excess behind, and lay them out on the grill, skin-side down. Cook until the skin is brown and crispy, and then flip. You want to roast them, essentially, on the grill, and avoid "flaming" them or cooking them over too intense heat. That would dry them out. Grill the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers between 155° and 160°F, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the grill to a cutting board. Cut into small pieces or serve whole, family style. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with lemon juice. Top with some of the Harissa and serve immediately.
• HARISSA:.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a small bowl, combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and caraway seeds. Add the spices to a sheet tray and toast in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes; you should faintly detect the scent of the spices. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool. Add the paprika and chile flakes to the spice mix.
• Using a mortar and pestle (or, alternatively, a food processor), grind the garlic cloves until they become a paste, and then add the red bell pepper. Seasone with salt, and then add the spices and the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and blend well. When blended, transfer the harissa to a container and top with some additional olive oil. This will keep for 3 to 6 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.

HARISSA MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put the red peppers on the grill and char them until they are black on all sides. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle, scrape the charred black skin off the peppers and remove the stem and seeds. Coarsely chop and reserve. This can totally be done ahead.
• Put the cumin, coriander, fennel and caraway in a dry saute pan and toast them until they become very aromatic. Grind all the spices into a coarse powder in a spice grinder.
• Coarsely chop the dried chiles, toss them into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to pulverize. Add the toasted ground spices, the roasted red peppers, chopped garlic and tomato paste. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil and pulse to combine. Add in another 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse again. Season with salt, to taste, if needed. Store in an airtight container.
• Toss the chicken parts liberally with the harissa and let sit at room temperature up to 2 hours, or overnight or even a few days in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the grill to medium.
• Put the chicken on the grill and grill for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. You may have to move the chicken around, or flip it over a couple of times to prevent burning. You may also want to brush it a couple times with the leftover harissa, just remember it is pretty spicy! Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

SPICY TARRAGON YOGURT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine tarragon, Greek yogurt, harissa sauce, garlic, vinegar, cumin, and salt in a blender. Puree until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Pour marinade over chicken breasts in a shallow dish, thoroughly coating both sides. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken breasts from the marinade and place on the pre-heated grill. Cook over medium-high heat until dark grill marks appear, about 7 minutes per side.
• Garnish with harissa sauce and a sprig of tarragon.

GRILLED LEMON YOGURT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whisk together the 1/2 cup yogurt, the juice from 1/2 lemon, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, paprika, herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Combine 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and harissa in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Remove chicken from bag and transfer to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels. Season with pinch of salt.
• Grill chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill for 2 minutes. Turn each piece and move to indirect heat.
• Grill, turning often, with lid down until well-browned and meat is no longer pink in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Serve chicken with the yogurt harissa mixture on the side.

GRILLED CHICKEN MARINADE

Steps:

• In a large bowl or container, stir together grated garlic cloves, lemon zest, yogurt, the fresh soft herbs, oil, dried herbs, oregano, marjoram, or thyme, salt and black pepper. (This yields about 1 cup marinade, good for about 2 pounds of chicken.) Let sit for a couple of hours and up to overnight.