Ingredients:
1/4 cupplus 1 tablespoon harissa sauce (mild or spicy)
1 tablespoonhoney, or to taste
1 teaspoonground cumin
4 tablespoonsolive oil, divided
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 poundsskin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (6 to 8)
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced ½ inch thick
2/3 cupdried apricots, halved
1/4 cupboiling water
2 tablespoonsred or white wine vinegar
1 cupCastelvetrano olives, with or without pits
1/4 cupshelled, roasted pistachios (or toasted almonds or pine nuts), coarsely chopped
1/4 cupcoarsely chopped cilantro
Couscous or warmed flatbread, for serving
Directions:
Heat the oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, stir the harissa, honey, cumin, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and the lemon zest (about 1 teaspoon, but a little more or less is fine!). Taste for heat level, adding more honey if it’s too spicy or harissa if you want more kick. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt and a few grinds of the black pepper; stir until blended.
Pat the chicken dry on an unlined sheet pan, then rub the harissa mixture on all sides and under the skin. Scoot the chicken to one side, then arrange the onion on the other side. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil, a few pinches of salt, and any harissa on the pan that didn’t stick to the chicken. Arrange the chicken skin side up across the pan, then nestle the onions around the chicken. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Roast for 20 minutes (set a timer).
Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, macerate the apricots in the boiling water and vinegar. Smash the olives with the flat side of a knife or the heel of your hand, removing the pits if present.
When the timer goes off, remove the sheet pan from the oven and add the apricots (plus their soaking liquid) and olives, nestling them around the chicken and scraping up any charred bits with a spatula or wooden spoon and stirring them into the liquid.
Roast for 5 to 10 minutes longer. Check the internal temperature of the chicken; the target is 165°F in the thickest parts. Roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, as needed. (Don’t worry if the temperature goes over a bit; thighs are forgiving and they’ll still be delicious.) Run the pan under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to crisp up the skin even more, if desired.
Scrape up the charred bits on the pan and stir them into the schmaltz. Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil (depending on the amount of rendered fat). Stir in the cilantro and pistachios. The sauce will thicken on the pan as the chicken rests. Taste, adding more salt and/or lemon juice to your liking.
Serve the chicken and sauce directly from the sheet pan, or transfer the chicken to a platter and pour the sauce on top. Serve over couscous or with flatbread alongside.