Recipe : Portuguese Piri Piri Chicken

Piri-piri chicken is a spicy dish with roots in both Africa and Portugal. 


The dish was created in Angola and Mozambique when Portuguese settlers arrived with chile peppers (known as piri-piri in Swahili). Timing note: The chicken needs to marinate for at least four hours before being grilled.



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

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.

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