With a jar of Harissa paste, sauce, or seasoning in your pantry, you will never have to endure a bland meal ever again.
Harissa is spicy, smoky, and peppery. It is a mix of spices used in Middle Eastern and North African cooking.
The difference from a harissa seasoning, paste or sauce, is the later two forms contain water and oil. Where as the seasoning form is simply a dried version of the peppers and spices.
If you choose to cook with the seasoning or powdered harissa, you can use it in the same way you’d cook with any dried spice blend, or you could mix it with oil and water to create a quick harissa paste.
This recipe, the Honey Harissa Fried Chicken Fillets, uses the harissa dried seasoning mixed with raw honey to coat the breaded chicken fillets (a mixture of flour and smoked paprika and including a egg and water mixture for dipping).
The out come of the chicken fillets are spicy but is off set with the sweetness of raw honey.
Oh how deliciously yummy. And did we say there juice and finger licking good. That is if you don’t use a fork.
Honey Harissa Fried Chicken Fillets
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (about 2 large) boneless, skinless – slice breasts horizontally from the thick end to the thin end into three (3) 1/4-inch-thick cutlets
1 cup all-purpose flour + 3 tablespoons
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/8 cup raw honey
2 teaspoons Harissa seasoning
Salt and black pepper for seasoning
High heat avocado oil for frying
After cutting breasts into 3 cutlets each, slice each cutlet into 3 fillets.
Pat fillets very dry. Season all over with salt and pepper. Toss with 3 tablespoons of flour until well coated.
In a shallow bowl, beat eggs and water.
In a resealable plastic bag, add flour and smoked paprika. Close bag and toss to mix.
Dip chicken fillets into egg letting excess drip off back into bowl. After dipping each fillet drop into bag with flour.
Seal bag and shake well until each fillet is well coated. Remove fillets from bag and transfer to a plate.
Heat 1/2 inch oil into a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
Oil should heat to 350 degrees with a cooking thermometer. If you do not have one, drop a pinch of flour into oil and it should sizzle vigorously.
When oil is heated, drop coated fillets into oil, working in batches. Caution oil will spatter.
Cook until golden-brown, about 2 minutes each side.
Transfer to a medium bowl. Toss with raw honey, a pinch of salt and harissa seasoning (add more or less depending on heat preference).
Plate and enjoy with a side of coleslaw or your preferred side.
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