Photo by Gina Moore
Serves 4–6
1 chicken, halved or butterflied (backbone removed and pressed flat)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup piri piri sauce, store-bought or homemade (recipe below)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3 scallions, sliced
Juice of ½ lemon
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brush with half of the piri piri sauce. Sprinkle with ginger, scallions and lemon juice. Place in a sealed plastic bag, and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours.
On an outdoor grill or in a roasting pan under your oven’s broiler, cook chicken until temperature reads 180 degrees in the thigh and 165 degrees in the breast (about 40–45 minutes). As chicken cooks, turn occasionally, and baste with remaining sauce. Remove chicken from grill or roasting pan, and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Piri piri sauce
2 tablespoons dried Thai chili peppers
¼ cup cider vinegar
5 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or ½ teaspoon cayenne for extra heat)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
Mix all ingredients except oil in a food processor until smooth. (Parsley is optional; using it will result in a greenish-colored sauce.) Once sauce begins to get smooth, drizzle in oil slowly while machine is running. Once all is incorporated, put sauce in a glass jar, and let stand at room temperature for up to a day. For longer storage, seal in a jar, and keep in the refrigerator up to a month.
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Recipe tip
Handling spicy peppers and chilies – Wear vinyl or rubber gloves when handling spicy peppers and chilies. Avoid touching your eyes or sensitive areas of the skin after you have been working with the peppers. If you are handling extreme peppers, you may want to wear a double layer of gloves. Wash your hands thoroughly after you have finished, even if you’ve been wearing protective gloves.