Prevent your screen from going dark
Makes 4 to 6 servings 1x
Time about 45 minutes
1. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Trim, peel and halve the onion top to bottom; cut each half crosswise into thick semi-rings. Smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife to remove the peels.
2. Put the onions and garlic in the skillet and increase the heat to medium. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the aromatics soften and begin to color, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Immediately stir in the tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the harissa, stir and taste. Adjust the seasoning with more harissa if you’d like. Nestle the chicken legs into the sauce and bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the liquid gently bubbles. Cover and cook, undisturbed for 15 minutes. Turn the drumsticks and stir the sauce, making sure it’s not sticking; adjust the heat as necessary. Cover and cook until the legs are easily pierced with a knife and no longer show signs of pink at the bone, another 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Transfer the drumsticks to a plate, carefully scraping off as much of the sauce as you can while leaving the skin intact. Stir the chickpeas into the sauce and bring the mixture to a boil; taste and adjust the seasoning, adding some pepper and more salt and harissa as you like. Cover and turn off the heat. (The recipe can be made ahead to this point; keep the chicken and sauce separate and refrigerate for up to a couple days. Or use this time to get everything ready for serving.)
5. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet big enough to hold the drumsticks comfortably. (Cast iron, carbonized steel, or a sturdy nonstick pan are the best choices.) The oil should cover the bottom in a thin film; if not, add a little more. Turn the heat to medium. When the oil shimmers add the chicken to the skillet (there will be some splattering) and sprinkle with a little salt if your sauce was under-seasoned.
6. Maintain the heat so the drumsticks sizzle and darken without full-on sticking and burning. Resist the urge to fuss too with them much. Instead, turn the pieces with a spatula only when they release easily from the pan. The goal is skin that’s crisp, caramelized, and maybe charred in some places. Figure this takes about 5 minutes. To serve, spread some yogurt on a platter or plates, top with the drumsticks, garnish with the herbs and serve with the simmered chickpeas and flatbread.
— Recipe developed by Kerri Conan