With winter days upon us and cold chills in the air, there’s nothing more hunger-inducing than a well-seasoned peri-peri chicken cooking away on the braai.
Try this delicious recipe to warm your bellies and impress your guests.
Ingredients:
Peri peri sauce:
- 6 fresh long red chillies
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, halved
- 2 tsp paprika
- ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano
- ½ cup olive oil
Peri peri chicken:
- 2 (400 g) medium potatoes
- 1.6 kg butterflied chicken
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup mayonnaise
Method:
Peri peri sauce:
- Halve 3 chillies lengthways and remove the seeds and discard.
- Coarsely chop all chillies and process with the remaining ingredients until well combined.
- Season well with salt.
Peri peri chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cut into 4cm pieces and set aside.
- Rub⅓ cup peri peri sauce on both sides of the chicken. Heat oil in a large flameproof roasting pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, skin-side down, for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over.
- Add potatoes to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, turning potatoes until golden.
- Transfer pan to the oven and roast for 25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear when the thickest part of a thigh is pierced.
- Combine mayonnaise with remaining peri peri sauce.
- Serve chicken and potato on a platter with peri peri mayonnaise. Top with fresh oregano leaves and serve alongside green salad leaves and grilled lemon halves.
Tip: To grill your lemon halves, brush oil on cut sides of lemon; place, cut-side down, in a heated grill pan or braai for 2 minutes until lightly charred. Ask your butcher to spatchcock your chicken for a time-saving solution. For more depth of flavour, marinate your chicken for 6 hours or overnight.
Picture: Supplied
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