Ras-el-hanout is my favourite spice blend in the world. I marinate chicken thighs in ras-el-hanout, olive oil and sea salt, fry, slice, and then wrap in a flour tortilla with whatever lettuce there is and some homemade tzatziki, or I make it in to a salad like the one above. It's really wonderful. Sabrina Ghayour has a much posher version in her cookbook, 'Persiana' which I also make all the time and have included a photo below. That one has pomegranate seeds, pomegranate molasses and sumac yoghurt (the salad above is adorned with both of these) and is ABSOLUTELY worth trying. Ras-el-Hanout is usually mildly spicy so only the older child (aged 6) loves it.
INGREDIENTS
600g (approx) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp sea salt
2 heaped Tbsp ras-el-hanout
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Tzatziki for salad or wraps:
1 telegraph cucumber, grated and drained by squeezing the excess juice through a sieve
1 crushed garlic clove
1 Tbsp olive oil
500g greek yoghurt
a small bunch of mint leaves, finely chopped
a small bunch of dill, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
8 large flour tortilla wraps
Lettuce of any variety
Extra fresh herbs if you want - coriander or mint leaves
You can substitute the tzatziki for Sabrina Ghayour's sumac and mint yoghurt which is much less time-consuming to make (though you still have to chop fresh mint!). Just combine chopped mint leaves, 400g greek yoghurt, 2 Tbsp sumac and freshly ground pepper.
METHOD
Mix the ras-el-hanout, salt and olive oil to a paste and mix through the chicken. Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight. Heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high in a large pan and fry the thighs until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning often.
Remove the thighs and rest on a board before slicing, during which you can whip up the tzatziki (by combining all the ingredients in a bowl), wash the lettuce and heat the wraps if required.
Print Version: