Many people believe that peri-peri chicken is the national cuisine of Mozambique. The Portuguese influence on the cuisine is evident in this chicken. It's wonderful, spicy, and insanely hot.
The sauce should burn a little bit to be authentic, but of course you can adjust the heat level to your own preference. The peri-peri is made with the African bird's eye chile. Compared to a habanero or scotch bonnet, it is slightly milder, scoring 175,000 on the Scoville scale. If you like a certain level of heat and taste in your sauce, feel free to use alternative chiles; but, if you want complete authenticity, look for African bird's eye chilies.
In the good old days, people would frequently travel to Mozambique just to eat this delicacy. Typically, it is served with a salad, some chips (fries), and more peri-peri sauce. Fantastic!
EQUIPMENT
. Chopping Board
. Blender
. Glass Mixing Bowl
. Grill
INGREDIENTS
. Two medium-sized chicken thighs
. One large charred red bell pepper
. one chopped medium red onion, and five fresh red chillies
. Five Garlic Cloves
. 1 tsp ground black pepper
. One teaspoon of dried oregano
. 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
. A Scoop of New Basil Leaves
. Three tablespoons of lemon juice
. ¼ cup olive oil
. 1 tablespoon salt
DIRECTIONS
. After scoring, put the chicken thighs aside.
. Add the red bell pepper that has burned to a blender.
. To make a smooth paste, add the red onion, red chili, garlic, black peppercorn, oregano, smoked paprika, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, and olive oil.
. Pour over the chicken that has been scored, then sprinkle with salt and rub to coat evenly.
. After that, leave it to marinade for half an hour.
. Place the marinated chicken thighs on the grill grate that has been greased.
. Grill for ten minutes on each side over medium-low heat.
. Chicken peri peri is prepared for serving.