A Taste of Portugal – Portugália ízei

Whether you’re in the mood for chicken, seafood or pork, spice up your dishes with Portugese flavour!

Peri-Peri Chicken

makes: about 500 ml sauce
serves: 6
preparation: 30 mins
marinating: 2 hours or overnight
cooking: 1 ½ hours

The homemade periperi sauce is worth the effort and can be made a few days in advance.

Ingredients for the sauce:

– 2 red peppers
– 1 yellow pepper
– 1 red onion
– 4-6 garlic cloves
– 4-6 red chillies
– juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
– 15ml smoked paprika
– 5ml cayenne pepper
– 5ml dried oregano
– 2,5ml rosemary
– 125ml olive or sunflower oil, plus extra for rubbing
– 30ml white wine vinegar
– 2,5-5ml salt

for the chicken:

– 1 whole chicken
– salt and freshly ground pepper
– to serve: fresh parsley, chopped lemon wedges

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a roasting pan with oil. Put a wire rack on a baking sheet and grease with non-stick spray. Sterilise a glass jar or bottle.
2. Rub the skins of the pepper, onion and garlic cloves with oil and arrange in the roasting pan. Roast for 15-20 min or until the garlic and onions are soft, and the skins of the peppers are charred.
3. Transfer the peppers to a plastic bag, seal and allow to cool – the peppers will sweat, making them easier to skin.
4. Once cooled, remove the peppers from the bag and pull the skins off. Remove the skin of the onion. Squeeze the garlic flesh from the skins.
5. Transfer the peppers, garlic, onion, chillies, lemon juice and zest, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano and rosemary to the bowl of a food processor. Add the oil and vinegar and pulse until smooth. Season with salt.
6. Transfer the sauce to the jar or bottle, seal and store in the fridge.
7. Chicken: Cut out the spine of the chicken. Use the heel of your hand to flatten the chicken (the breastbone will break). Cut slits in the chicken and season.
8. Transfer the chicken to a large, non-metal marinating dish and pour 250ml (1c) peri-peri sauce over. Make sure the chicken is well covered. Cover the dish and marinate the chicken for 2 hours or overnight.
9. Put the chicken, skin side up, on the wire rack over the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C and roast for another 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
10. To serve: Cut the chicken into portions, sprinkle with parsley and serve with the lemon wedges, peri-peri sauce and a side dish of your choice.