I thought I knew my harissa after nearly two decades of making it from scratch. Then I tasted a spoonful of rich, wine-dark paste from an unmarked jar that arrived on my doorstep from brothers Mansour and Karim Arem. They were on the verge of launching Zwïta, a company focused on celebrating their Tunisian heritage. Whereas western cooks and food writers are familiar with many of the food traditions of nearby Morocco, we’ve largely neglected to learn anything about Tunisia or its culinary history. And, judging by the Arem brothers’ harissa, that’s entirely to our detriment.

Made with mild, sun-dried chillies, the traditional Tunisian version of this pepper paste is layered with garlic, caraway and coriander. Multidimensional in flavour and distinctly thick, it will be a revelation to anyone who has only ever encountered the stuff squeezed from a tube (or any other version similarly doctored with tomato products, hydrated chilli powder or fresh peppers). Once I tasted their harissa, I began to incorporate it into my everyday cooking, stirring it into garlic and herb labneh and drizzling it over roast vegetables. One of my favourite ways to use it is as a rub or marinade for chicken.

Chicken braised with apricots and harissa (pictured top)

Every time I’ve made this for friends, there hasn’t been a morsel left. Since I use mild harissa, even the most spice-averse kids lap up every sip of braising juice and eat every bite of chicken off the bone. It’s a winner if there ever was one. I recommend serving this with steamed couscous, because it absorbs the braising juices as you eat, ensuring that you’ll get to enjoy every last drop.

Prep 10 min Marinate Overnight Cook 2 hr 15 min Serves 4-8

For the tebil **2 ****tbsp ground coriander 1¼ ****tsp turmeric ½ **tsp caraway seeds, ground **¼ **tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.4kg)** **Flaky sea salt **2 ****tbsp mild harissa paste 3 ****tbsp **ghee, or extra-virgin olive oil 1 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces 8 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole **245g crushed tomatoes (tinned or fresh) 240ml chicken stock, or water 2 bay leaves 1 small handful **coriander stalks, leaves reserved for serving 160g dried apricots, halved **1 **tsp ground cumin

To serve Coriander leaves and tender stalks Steamed couscous, or giant couscous, or rice **Garlic and ****herb **labneh Green sauce

To make the tebil, in a small bowl, stir the coriander, turmeric, caraway and pepper.

The day before you plan to cook, season the chicken generously on both sides with salt. In a medium bowl, mash the harissa with half the dried spice blend. Add the chicken and rub evenly all over with the spiced harissa paste. Cover and refrigerate overnight; bring to room temperature before cooking.

With an oven rack in the middle of the oven, heat it to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Set a large, nonreactive frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the ghee. When the fat shimmers, add the onion, carrots and garlic, and season lightly with salt and the remaining spice blend. Turn down the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, translucent and just beginning to take on some colour – about 12 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and stock, stir to deglaze, then let the mixture return to a boil. Transfer the mixture to a 23cm × 33cm baking dish and lay the bay leaves and coriander stalks on top.

Arrange the chicken skin side down on the bed of aromatics, then nestle the apricots around the chicken. The braising liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the chicken, so if you’re at all short, add a splash more stock or water to make up the difference. Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper over the chicken, then cover and seal tightly with foil. Transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is completely tender and shows no resistance when pierced with a sharp knife – about an hour and 30 minutes.

When the chicken is completely tender, move the oven rack to the top of the oven and turn up the heat to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Lift off the foil and paper and flip over the chicken thighs so they sit skin side up. Sprinkle the cumin into the braising liquid, then return the baking dish to the oven and cook until the liquid has reduced and the skins are crisp and golden brown – 18-20 minutes.

Use tongs to arrange the chicken in a rimmed serving dish or shallow bowl. Discard the bay leaves and coriander stalks, taste and adjust the seasoning of the braising juices with salt as needed, then spoon the apricots and juices all over the chicken. Garnish with coriander, then serve with steamed couscous, garlic and herb labneh and green sauce. Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container for up to three or four days, or freeze for up to three months. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

Stewy harissa chickpeas with squash

Samin Nosrat’s stewy harissa chickpeas with winter squash.

Feel free to leave out the squash, but, if you do, consider folding in 35g golden raisins instead.

Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr Serves 4-6

1 onion, peeled and finely diced Salt Extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 2 tbsp tomato puree 2-3 tbsp mild harissa paste 1 tsp ground cumin ¾ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 pinch ground cinnamon 560g cooked and drained chickpeas 680g peeled, seeded honeynut squash, or other winter squash, cut into 2½cm cubes 540ml chicken stock 1 bay leaf 1 tbsp aged sherry vinegar 1 lemon Chopped coriander, or dill or parsley

To serve (all optional) Pitta, or crusty bread** Marinated feta**, or goat’s cheese** Labneh**

In a medium casserole on a medium heat, soften the onion with a pinch of salt in three tablespoons of olive oil for about 10 minutes. Move the onion to the edges of the pot, add the sliced garlic, tomato puree and harissa, and cook for about two minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the oil turns an orangey red.

Stir in the cumin, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon, leave to bloom and turn fragrant, then add the chickpeas and stir to coat. Add the squash, stock, 110ml extra-virgin olive oil, the bay leaf, sherry vinegar and a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, taste and adjust the seasoning with extra salt, if required. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash and chickpeas are very soft – 35-40 minutes.

Garnish with a squeeze of lemon and a showering of chopped coriander, parsley or dill, and serve with crusty bread or fluffy pitta pockets, marinated feta or goat’s cheese, and some garlic and herb labneh.

These recipes are edited extracts from Good Things, by Samin Nosrat, published by Ebury Press at £30. To order a copy for £25.50, visit guardianbookshop.com