A comforting weekend ritual often involves ordering takeout and settling in for your favorite TV show. But this weekend, ditch the delivery apps and embrace the deliciousness of homemade piri piri chicken, a recipe that’s perfect for grilling season.
Rick Stein, renowned chef and author, shares his take on this classic Portuguese dish, ensuring it’s both straightforward and incredibly satisfying. As he emphasizes in his book, ‘Rick Stein’s Long Weekends,’ a true piri piri dish must be hot.
His inspiration for this recipe came from his travels in Lisbon, specifically a restaurant called Casa da India. The enticing aroma of piri piri chicken grilling over charcoal in the window captivated him, and this recipe is a tribute to that memory.
Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
* 1.5kg chicken, jointed into 8 pieces or 8 large chicken thighs
* 1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
For the Marinade:
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed or grated
* 1/2 lemon, juice
For the Piri Piri Sauce:
* 7-8 dried piri piri chillies, or 5-6 red jalapeno and 1 red bird’s eye, roughly chopped, seeds left in
* 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
* 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or juice of 1 lemon
* 125 ml olive oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked hot paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon caster sugar
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions:
1.
Marinate the Chicken:
Combine all marinade ingredients in a container. Submerge the chicken pieces in the marinade, ensuring complete coverage. Seal the container and refrigerate for 60 minutes.2.
Prepare the Piri Piri Sauce:
Blend all sauce ingredients (except the oregano) until a thick consistency is achieved. Fold in the oregano. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add more olive oil. Store the sauce in a sterilized glass container in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.3.
Cook the Chicken:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Place the marinated chicken on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes.4.
Finish Under the Grill:
Preheat the grill to high heat. Transfer the chicken to the grill for 5 minutes to achieve a crisp exterior. Apply 4 tablespoons of piri piri sauce. Alternatively, grill the chicken skin-side down for 15 minutes to induce a crisp and slightly charred surface. Flip and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 75 degrees Celsius (167 degrees Fahrenheit). Apply more piri piri sauce as desired.5.
Serve:
Serve the chicken with lemon wedges and extra piri piri sauce. Enjoy!Rick Stein’s piri piri chicken is a true crowd-pleaser, perfect for a relaxing weekend dinner or a casual gathering with friends. It’s a simple recipe that delivers big flavor, making it a welcome addition to any cook’s repertoire.
