Apricot harissa pulled chicken & chickpea pitta salad

Step by Step

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Slash the chicken deeply several times on the skin side, then put into a snug-fitting roasting tin.

Step 2

Drain the apricots over a jug. Using a blender, blitz 100g apricots with the harissa and 1 tbsp oil until smooth. Season, pour over the chicken and rub in well. Roast for 45 minutes, until thoroughly cooked and tender, with no pink meat and the juices run clear. The sauce will catch here and there.

Step 3

Split the pitta, then tear into shards onto a baking tray. Bake for the last 15 minutes of the chicken roasting time, until crisp. Roughly chop the remaining apricots and mix with the chickpeas, 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp of juice from the can. Season generously. Roughly chop ¾ of the mint and fold it in.

Step 4

Mix the yogurt and garlic in a small bowl, then season. Spread ⅓ over a large sharing plate. Layer up ½ the bread and ½ the chickpea salad, adding dots of yogurt and a drizzle more juice in places, then repeat. Top with the chicken and skin, pulled from the bones in large shreds, and dot the apricot harissa sauce all over. Top with the remaining yogurt, mint and some black pepper. Drizzle with 1 tbsp more oil to serve.