Piri Piri Chicken

Piri Piri Chicken 

This Portugese-inspired menu is an all time favourite! Such an easy recipe, perfect for a family meal. I love a little more kick in my piri piri sauce but you can certainly use less chillies.

Ingredients

For the chicken

    •    4 large chicken thighs or Maryland pieces, skin on and bone in
    •    1 red capsicum
    •    1 yellow capsicum
    •    6 - 8 sprigs of thyme

For the piri piri sauce
    •    ½ red onion
    •    3 - 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
    •    2 - 3 birds-eye chillies (or 6 - 8 birds-eye chillies, or 1 habanero chilli for a hotter option)
    •    1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
    •    1 lemon
    •    2 - 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    •    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    •    A bunch of fresh basil


Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Put a large grill pan on a high heat. Place the chicken pieces on a chopping board, skin side down, and slash the meat a few times on each piece. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, then put on the grill pan that is heating up, skin side down. Cook until golden on the skin, then turn over.
2. To make the piri piri sauce, peel and roughly chop the red onion and add to a blender with the peeled garlic cloves. Add the chillies, paprika, the zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon. Add the white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, a good pinch of salt and pepper, one to two handful of basil leaves and some water. Blend until smooth and set aside.
3. Slice the capsicums into large strips and add to the grill pan. Turn the heat down to medium, sear and keep moving the capsicums around.
4. Pour the piri piri sauce into a snug-fitting roasting tray or a baking dish. Lay the capsicum slices on top. Add the chicken to the roasting tray with the sauce. Scatter over the sprigs of thyme and leave the chicken to cooked through until browned.
5. Serve the chicken with some salad, turmeric rice or pilaf! Bom Proveito!