Portuguese Chicken In Piri Piri Sauce Food

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!

PORTUGUESE CHICKEN IN PIRI PIRI SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients for the marinade together. If you find it annoying crushing up the garlic you can buy it pre crushed from the shops.
• Use a sharp knife cut chicken into six pieces so that you have the breast and lower part of the chicken as well as the 4 drumsticks and wings, (visualize the look of the chicken at Nando's). Cut off any excess fat but leave most of the skin as it will add to the flavor.
• Make several small incisions into the chicken to later help it absorb the marinade.
• Bask the chicken well in the marinade and allow it to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile mix the Piri Piri seasoning with the lemon juice and the oil. You can find Piri Piri seasoning easily from the shops and it saves you having to chop if 10-12 red chillies and chop up a bay leaf and such, just makes the process a lot simpler. Also add a pinch of salt.
• Pre heat the grill and insert the chicken. Bask the chicken frequently with any excess marinade.Turn the chicken frequently and make sure it doesn't burn.Cook for approximately 30 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the grill/BBQ and allow it to cool before lathering it in the Piri Piri sauce. Serve with potatoes and what ever else you desire.
• Charcoal grill or BBQ preferred but gas grill works almost as well.
• Seven easy steps to Heaven!

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 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.