Frango à Piri-Piri

Name: Frango à Piri-Piri
Prep time: 260 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 340 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mozambican
Ingredients: 1 whole whole chicken, about 1.5 kg; 12 pieces fresh red piri-piri chillies (stems removed; use fewer for a milder heat); 8 cloves garlic (peeled); 3 whole lemons (two for the marinade, one for basting); 60 ml vegetable oil; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 2 tsp coarse salt; 50 g butter; salt (to taste, for finishing)

Serves 4 · 340 min · Mozambican

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 1.5 kg
12 fresh red piri-piri chillies
8 cloves garlic
3 lemons
60 ml vegetable oil
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp coarse salt
50 g butter
to taste salt

Method

01
Split the chicken Place the chicken breast side down and cut along both sides of the backbone with strong kitchen scissors, remove the backbone, then turn the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone so it lies flat. Cut a few deep slashes into the thighs and drumsticks.
02
Pound the chilli paste Pound the piri-piri chillies, garlic and coarse salt in a mortar and pestle until you have a rough red paste, then stir in the juice of two lemons, the vegetable oil and the sweet paprika.
03
Reserve some sauce Spoon about one third of the chilli sauce into a small bowl, cover it and set it aside in the fridge for basting later.
04
Marinate the chicken Rub the rest of the chilli sauce all over the chicken, pushing it into the slashes and under the skin, then cover and leave it in the fridge for at least four hours.
05
Light the charcoal Light the charcoal and let it burn until the coals are covered in white ash and give off a steady medium heat, which takes about thirty minutes.
06
Make the basting sauce Melt the butter in a small pan at the edge of the grill, then stir in the reserved chilli sauce and the juice of the last lemon and let it bubble gently for about three minutes.
07
Grill the bone side Lay the chicken on the grill bone side down and cook for about twenty minutes, brushing it with the basting sauce every few minutes.
08
Grill the skin side Turn the chicken skin side down and grill for about fifteen minutes more, basting and turning as needed, until the skin is blistered and the juices from the thickest part of the thigh run clear.
09
Rest the chicken Move the chicken to a board, brush it once more with basting sauce, cover it loosely and let it rest for ten minutes.
10
Cut and serve Cut the chicken into pieces, taste and add a little salt if needed, then pour over any remaining basting sauce and serve hot with chips, rice or fresh bread.

Method

Split the chicken

Place the chicken breast side down and cut along both sides of the backbone with strong kitchen scissors, remove the backbone, then turn the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone so it lies flat. Cut a few deep slashes into the thighs and drumsticks.

Flattening the bird helps it cook evenly over the coals, so the breast does not dry out before the legs are done.

Pound the chilli paste

Pound the piri-piri chillies, garlic and coarse salt in a mortar and pestle until you have a rough red paste, then stir in the juice of two lemons, the vegetable oil and the sweet paprika.

Wear gloves or wash your hands well afterwards. If you cannot find piri-piri chillies, fresh red bird's eye or Thai chillies are the closest match.

Reserve some sauce

Spoon about one third of the chilli sauce into a small bowl, cover it and set it aside in the fridge for basting later.

Marinate the chicken

Rub the rest of the chilli sauce all over the chicken, pushing it into the slashes and under the skin, then cover and leave it in the fridge for at least four hours.

Overnight marinating gives even deeper flavour, but do not go past twenty four hours or the lemon starts to make the meat mushy.

Marinate the chicken · 240 min

Light the charcoal

Light the charcoal and let it burn until the coals are covered in white ash and give off a steady medium heat, which takes about thirty minutes.

You should be able to hold your hand above the grill for about five seconds. If it is hotter than that, spread the coals out or the skin will burn before the meat cooks.

Light the charcoal · 30 min

Make the basting sauce

Melt the butter in a small pan at the edge of the grill, then stir in the reserved chilli sauce and the juice of the last lemon and let it bubble gently for about three minutes.

Make the basting sauce · 3 min

Grill the bone side

Lay the chicken on the grill bone side down and cook for about twenty minutes, brushing it with the basting sauce every few minutes.

If fat drips cause flames, move the chicken to a cooler part of the grill for a moment rather than letting it char.

Grill the bone side · 20 min

Grill the skin side

Turn the chicken skin side down and grill for about fifteen minutes more, basting and turning as needed, until the skin is blistered and the juices from the thickest part of the thigh run clear.

If you have a thermometer, the thickest part of the thigh should read seventy five degrees Celsius.

Grill the skin side · 15 min

Rest the chicken

Move the chicken to a board, brush it once more with basting sauce, cover it loosely and let it rest for ten minutes.

Rest the chicken · 10 min

Cut and serve

Cut the chicken into pieces, taste and add a little salt if needed, then pour over any remaining basting sauce and serve hot with chips, rice or fresh bread.

Frango à Piri-Piri

Ingredients

Method

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