Piri Piri Chicken Food

PIRI-PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the marinade, tip the dried chillies and the vinegar into a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave the chillies to soak until the vinegar is cold. Put the red chillies, garlic, soaked dried chillies and vinegar in a food processor and blitz. Add the smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, sugar, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Blitz again to a paste and set aside.
• Sit the chicken in a shallow dish and use a small knife to score all over with cuts 1cm deep. Make sure you do the legs and the underside. Tip the marinade over the chicken and massage into the cuts. Cover and chill for at least 4 hrs, but overnight would be better.
• When you're ready to cook, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roast the chicken for 1 hr, then turn the heat up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for a further 30-35 mins until a crust has formed on the outside of the chicken.
• Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 30 mins. Serve with homemade wedges or jacket potatoes, coleslaw, some buttered corn cobs and chilli & mint peas.

PIRI-PIRI CHICKEN WITH SPICY RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Slash each piece of chicken 3 times, so the marinade can really flavour the meat. Pour over the sauce and leave in the fridge to marinate, if you have time. If not, mix well and arrange, skin-side up, in a roasting tin. Cook for 30 mins, then increase heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for about 15 mins more until the skin is crispy and golden.
• When the chicken is almost ready, heat the oil in a frying pan. Cook the peppers and white parts of the spring onions for 5 mins. Tip in the purée and paprika, stir, then add the rice, breaking up with a wooden spoon so all the grains are coated well. Use a high heat and scrape any that sticks off the bottom so you get some soft and some crispy parts. Heat until piping hot. Scatter the green parts of the spring onion on top and serve with the chicken, and some vegetables or salad, if you like.

TRADITIONAL PORTUGUESE PIRI PIRI SAUCE FOR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.
• Brush on chicken before barbecuing (or baking in oven @ 350 °F for 1.25 hours WITHOUT opening the door during during entire cooking process.) It helps the flavour if you marinate the chicken for a few hours prior to cooking!

PIRI PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Use rubber gloves to mince the chiles and place into a mixing bowl. Add cilantro, garlic, vegetable oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Mix piri piri sauce well.
• Place chicken breasts and legs into a resealable plastic bag. Pour in piri piri sauce, seal the bag, and shake gently to completely cover chicken. Put the bag in the refrigerator to marinate at least 4 hours.
• Remove bag from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to allow chicken to come to room temperature.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the bag; discard bag and cilantro. Cook chicken on the preheated grill, rotating as necessary to cook evenly, until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 25 minutes.

PIRI PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the chicken in half along the backbone.
• Pick the thyme leaves into a pestle and mortar, peel and add 1 garlic clove, then add the paprika and a pinch of sea salt. Bash to a paste, then muddle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Rub the marinade all over the chicken, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Place a large griddle pan over a high heat.
• Quarter the unpeeled onions and halve any larger tomatoes, then place on the hot griddle with the chillies and the remaining unpeeled garlic cloves. Grill for 5 to 10 minutes, or until charred all over, turning regularly.
• Remove the garlic skins and peel the onions, then add all the vegetables to a food processor with a splash of red wine vinegar and a good lug of extra virgin olive oil. Blitz until smooth, then add a splash of water to loosen, if needed. Season to taste.
• Return the griddle pan to a high heat, add the marinated chicken and sear all over for 8 to 10 minutes, turning regularly. Transfer to a roasting tray, then pop in the hot oven for 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, cut the sweet potatoes into rough 2cm wedges. Toss with the paprika, semolina, a small pinch of salt and black pepper and a lug of olive oil.
• Spread the wedges out on 2 large baking trays, then place in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender and crisp.
• To make the jalapeño salsa, drain and add the jalapeños to a food processor with a splash of the pickling juice. Tear in the coriander (stalks and all) and add a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Blitz well until smooth.
• Serve the roast chicken with your piri piri sauce, sweet potato wedges and a little jalapeño salsa.

PIRI-PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• For glaze:
• Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cilantro and garlic; cook until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add piri-piri sauce and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 minutes. DO AHEAD: Glaze can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before using.
• For chicken:
• Finely chop cilantro, ginger, shallot, and garlic in processor. Add piri-piri sauce, 1/4 cup oil, lemon juice, coarse salt, and pepper; process marinade to blend.
• Place chicken, skin side up, on work surface. Using palm of hand, press on breastbone to flatten chicken. Tuck wing tips under. Pour half of marinade into 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Open chicken like book; place skin side down in single layer in dish. Pour remaining marinade over. Cover; chill at least 4 hours or overnight, turning chicken occasionally.
• Remove top rack from barbecue. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). If using 2-burner gas grill, light 1 burner. If using 3-burner gas grill, do not light center burner. If using charcoal grill, light briquettes in chimney and pour onto 1 side of lower grill rack. Place disposable aluminum pan on unlit part of grill. Place upper grill rack on barbecue; brush with oil.
• Remove chicken from marinade. Arrange skin side up on grill rack above drip pan. Cover barbecue; grill until skin is browned and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, turning often, about 40 minutes. Transfer to platter. Pour warm glaze over.

PORTUGUESE PIRI PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• In large glass bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken; mix well.
• Add chicken, turning to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, turning occasionally; can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours if you want to make it ahead.
• Reserving marinade, place chicken, skin side down, on a greased grill over medium heat; close lid and cook for 10 minutes.
• Turn and brush with marinade; cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced.
• For a less spicy version, replace above marinade with Portuguese Paprika Marinade: 1/3 cup dry white wine, 1 tsp grated lemon rind, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce, and 2 cloves of garlic, minced.

PIRI-PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Line a large, shallow roasting tin with foil. Put chicken breast-side down on a board. Use kitchen scissors to cut along each side of the backbone and discard. Turn chicken over and press down on the breast to flatten it. Rub 4tsp of the piri-piri, 1tsp of oil, and the lemon zest and juice all over the chicken. Put breast-side up in the prepared tin.
• Slice potatoes into wedges about 2cm (3/4in) thick. Scatter into a separate roasting tray. Toss through remaining piri-piri and 2tsp oil.
• Roast chicken and wedges for 30min. Remove chicken tin from the oven. Add cherry tomatoes, then drizzle with 1tsp oil and season. Return tin to the oven and roast for a further 10min until chicken is cooked and tomatoes have just burst. Remove chicken and tomatoes to a board and leave to rest for 10min. Continue cooking wedges for 10min, or until tender.
• Joint the chicken and serve with the wedges, tomatoes and a green salad, if you like.

PIRI PIRI CHICKEN - PORTUGUESE GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place your chicken on a baking tray, season it with the minced garlic and lemon juice. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Combine the butter and fresh thyme, then divide the mixture in half. Add each half to under the skin of the chicken breasts. Rubbing it from the outside to make sure the butter is well spread. This will add extra flavour to the breasts and make them more moist. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper, then set it aside.
• Pre-heat your oven to 240 °C. Meanwhile, add the piri-piri sauce ingredients to a food processor, blend everything for a couple of minutes. It should look like a smooth paste but not super liquid.
• Once the oven is hot, add the seasoned chicken. Cook it for 20 minutes, then spread 1/3 of the piri-piri sauce over the whole chicken, put it back in the oven. Repeat the process. Continue roasting until the skin achieves a barbecued look. It should be ready when you poke the chicken, and clear juice runs out of it. It should take around 1h15m total (3x 20min + 15min)
• For the cooling sauce, finely chop your herbs, combine them with Greek yoghurt and the ricotta. Season it with salt, black pepper, and olive oil.
• Serve your chicken with the sides you prefer. I served mine like the Portuguese do, with a simple salad, French fries and, of course, the left over piri-piri sauce!

PIRI PIRI SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients except the garlic in a saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature. When the mixture is cool, pour into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Pour the sauce into a glass container and cover. Let sit for 7 days before using.