Recipes from Better at Home: Recipes for Big Nights In by Colu Henry. Photography by Silver und Seck, Christian Harder, and Issy Crocker. ©2026 by Abrams Books. Excerpted with permission. All rights reserved.
| Portions | Cook Time |
|---|---|
| Serves 6 | 40 minutes |
Ingredients
For the chicken and the couscous:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6½ ounces/ 185 g each)
- 1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) canola or other high-heat oil
- 1 medium leek, thinly sliced into rounds and well rinsed
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1½ cups (300 g) pearled couscous
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock
For the romesco:
- 1½ cups (360 g) finely chopped roasted red peppers
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 large clove garlic, grated
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ¼ cup (13 g) Italian parsley, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- Flaky salt, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Prepare the chicken: Season the chicken thighs evenly with the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers, working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the chicken skin side down and cook undisturbed until the skin is golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and repeat cooking 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
- Wipe out the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes more. Season with salt. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the couscous, toss to coat, and toast with the leeks and the garlic, 2 minutes more. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until about half the stock is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Nestle the chicken back into the pan and transfer to the oven.
- Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the romesco: In a medium bowl, stir together the roasted red peppers, pepper flakes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and parsley and season with salt. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference with a bit more salt and vinegar as needed.
- Spoon the sauce over the top of the chicken and couscous and pass more at the table. Finish with a few pinches of flaky salt.