Chicken thighs stuffed with aromatic harissa, almond and apricot, rolled and wrapped in bacon, result in a succulent, full-flavoured festive showstopper. 

Recipe, styling & photo: Emma Boyd

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
80g almonds, roasted, roughly chopped
½ cup parsley, packed, finely chopped
12 apricots, sliced
35g butter, cubed
zest of 1 lemon
100g feta
1¼ cups breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons harissa paste
400g streaky bacon
6 chicken thighs, bones and skin removed
maple syrup, to glaze

METHOD

Heat oven to 180°C. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat, fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Tip out into a bowl and add the almonds, parsley, apricots, butter, zest, feta, breadcrumbs and harissa. Season and combine.

Lay a piece of baking paper roughly 40cm long on the bench. Arrange the bacon lengthways down the paper, overlapping the rashers slightly. Arrange 3 chicken thighs along the bottom edge of the bacon and then lay the remaining three on top to get a large rectangle with bacon protruding from the top. Press the stuffing onto the chicken, then carefully roll the bacon/chicken/stuffing mix away from you to form a long log, keeping it tight as you go.

Transfer to a large roasting dish and brush with the maple syrup. Roast for 45-50 minutes or until the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the middle of the chicken. Baste several times with the juices as it cooks, basting again when it comes out of the oven. When cooked, cover loosely with foil and let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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