Piri Piri Spicy Herb Oil Food

SPICY LEMON ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CRISPY POTATOES

Steps:

• Put a baking sheet on the top oven rack and preheat to 475 degrees F. Toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread out on the hot baking sheet and roast until the potatoes start browning, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook skin-side down until the skin is crisp and brown, about 6 minutes, then flip and brown lightly on the other side, about 3 minutes.
• Make the sauce: Blend the chiles, garlic, lemon zest and juice, 1 tablespoon vinegar, the paprika, honey and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender to make a chunky puree. Gradually blend in 1/4 cup olive oil. Set aside half of the sauce for serving.
• Move the potatoes to one side of the baking sheet and add the chicken skin-side up to the other side. Brush all over with the remaining chile sauce. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are browned and crisp, 13 to 15 minutes. Divide the chicken, potatoes and pan juices among plates.
• Toss the lettuce mix with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the salad to the plates. Serve with the reserved chile sauce.

PILI PILI (SPICY HERB OIL)

Steps:

• Place the herbs, chiles and oil in a medium saucepan and heat slowly over low heat until they begin to sizzle. If you insert a thermometer, the temperature should not go above 220ºF. Turn off the heat and wait for the oil to stop sizzling, then cover and allow to cool.
• Transfer the herbs and chiles to a clean, sterilized bottle (you may need to use a funnel to do this neatly). Pour on the olive oil. Close tightly and allow to stand in a dark, cool place for a week to mature.

PIRI PIRI OIL

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a clean jar and close tightly. Transfer to refrigerator and let stand at least 2 weeks, until desired level of heat is reached, stirring every 2 to 3 days. Remove chiles and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

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 OIL

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a jar and seal tightly.
• Place the sealed jar in the refrigerator and let steep for minimum of two weeks, stirring every two or three days.
• The longer it steeps the hotter it will become.
• When it's hot enough for your tastes, you can (if you wish) strain out the chilies and bay leaves.

PIRI PIRI (SPICY HERB OIL)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat herbs, chiles, and oil, slowly, over low heat until they begin to sizzle (less than 220 degrees F).
• Turn off the heat and when they stop sizzling, cover and allow to cool.
• Pour into a clean, sterilized bottle, cover tightly and let stand in a cool, dark place for a week before using.
• NOTE: Instead of crushed red pepper flakes you could also use 12 whole small dried red chili peppers or Japanese chilies, or 8 dried chiles de arbol, broken in half.