This impressive-looking dish from Irish chef, columnist and TV presenter Clodagh McKenna is surprisingly easy to pull together, making it perfect for an indulgent midweek meal or stress-free Sunday dinner. The Tesco Finest free-range chicken – full of flavour having been raised on a diet rich in corn – is doused in a smoked paprika marinade before cooking. Then it’s served simply with spiced couscous made using stock from the chicken. Everything is finished off with harissa and a deliciously cooling mint dressing made with creamy Tesco Finest Greek yoghurt.
Prep and cook 4 hr
Serves 4
For the chicken
1 x 1.65kg Tesco Finest British cornfed free-range whole chicken
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 tbsp Tesco Finest Sicilian extra virgin olive oil
For the chicken stock from the carcass
1 chicken carcass
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 stick of celery, sliced
2 Tesco Finest echalion shallots, chopped
Any fresh herbs
For the couscous
400g couscous
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp coriander
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 lemon, zest and juice
600ml hot chicken stock, made from the carcass
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
For the mint yoghurt
100ml Tesco Finest Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
To serve
Harissa paste
Start by making the chicken marinade. Place all the spices in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, zest and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and whisk together. Rub the marinade all over the chicken and leave to marinate for 1 hour in a fridge.
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and roast the marinated chicken for 1½ hours. Once it’s cooked, remove all the meat from the carcass, tear into pieces and place to one side.
To make the stock, put the carcass, the chopped vegetables and herbs in a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover everything, and season with black pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, put on a lid and allow to simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve.
Pour the couscous grains into a bowl and stir in the spices, lemon juice and zest, and then add 600ml of hot chicken stock. Cover the bowl and leave for 15 minutes. Separate the grains using a fork and stir in the chickpeas and parsley. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In a separate bowl mix together the yoghurt and fresh mint.
To serve, pile the couscous on to a large plate, top with the torn chicken and finish with generous dollops of mint yoghurt and harissa.
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