Peri Peri Chicken (Nando's Style)

By exdircomp

Ingredients for Peri Peri Sauce
2-6 birds-eye red chillis
(adjust spice level to your taste....2 will be mildly spicy whilst 6 will be very spicy)
.1 big red capsicum/bell-pepper
.juice of one lemon
.2 tbsp.paprika powder
.2 tsp.salt
.1 tbsp.oregano
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
.1/2 cup oil (vegetable or olive)
.5 cloves of garlic
. 4 tbsp.dark vinegar
.1 tsp.black pepper
.1/4 tsp. red or orange food coloring

For the Peri Peri Sauce

This sauce is used for marinating the chicken and any leftover is normally cooked down and served as a dip. I prefer making the sauce up to a day ahead of using as the flavors tend to develop with a bit of time. So you can go ahead and prepare the sauce up to a day before you need to use it.

Blend all the ingredients of the sauce until smooth, then pour into a container and refrigerate until needed. You can make the sauce in bulk and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks and use as and when required.

Ingredients

• Glaze:
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons piri-piri sauce or other hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Chicken: •1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 large shallot, peeled, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup piri-piri sauce or other hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, backbone removed, opened flat
• 1 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 1 1/4-inch disposable aluminum baking pan (to catch drips)
• Ingredient info: Bottled piri-piri sauce is available at specialty foods stores and online from africantradingco.com. Choose the heat level that suits you, keeping in mind that the mild version still has a nice kick to it

Preparation

Step 1

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.