Frango Piri-Piri
Mozambique's national grilled chicken: spatchcocked bird marinated in fiery garlic-lemon-piri-piri, grilled hard over charcoal and basted as it cooks.
Overview
Bird's-eye chillies, garlic and oil blend into a thick red marinade with paprika, vinegar and lemon. The chicken is spatchcocked (backbone removed, flattened), rubbed with the marinade, and left at least four hours (ideally overnight). It cooks over a hot grill or in a hot oven, basted with the reserved marinade. Charred edges, juicy inside, blistered red.
Ingredients
Piri-piri marinade
- 10-15 bird's-eye chillies (or 6 red Thai chillies for a milder result)
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons paprika (smoked)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 100 ml olive oil
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken (1.6-1.8 kg) (spatchcocked - ask the butcher or cut the backbone out with kitchen shears)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra, for basting)
- 1 lemon (for serving)
Method
Stage 1 - Marinade
- Strip the chilli stems. Roughly chop the chillies (leave the seeds for full heat; deseed for less).
- Blend the chillies, garlic, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, vinegar and oil to a smooth red paste.
- Reserve a third of the marinade in a small bowl - this is the basting / serving sauce.
Stage 2 - Marinate
- Place the spatchcocked chicken skin-up on a board. Score the thickest parts of the thighs and breasts 1 cm deep.
- Rub the larger portion of marinade all over, working it into the cuts and under the skin where you can.
- Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Stage 3 - Grill or roast
- Grill: Heat charcoal until ashed over. Place the chicken skin-down on the grill 8 cm above the coals. Cook 15 minutes, basting with the reserved marinade; flip; cook 12-15 minutes more, basting again. The juices should run clear.
- Oven: Heat to 220°C (200°C fan). Place the chicken skin-up on a wire rack over a tray. Roast 35-40 minutes, basting at 15 and 25 minutes. Internal temperature 75°C in the thigh.
Stage 4 - Rest and serve
- Rest the chicken 5 minutes, skin-up.
- Cut into pieces. Serve with the remaining piri-piri sauce, lemon wedges and chips or coconut rice.
Notes
- Heat is adjustable: Bird's-eye is the traditional chilli. Substitute red Thai (similar heat), red Fresno (milder), or habanero/scotch bonnet (hotter, fruitier). Deseed for less heat.
- Marinade time matters: Less than 4 hours is barely seasoned. Overnight gives the deepest flavour and the most tender meat.
- Char is the point: Don't fear a dark exterior. The skin should be blackened in spots, and the marinade caramelises into a glaze.
Storage
- Refrigerate 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven until heated through.
- The piri-piri sauce keeps 2 weeks refrigerated.
Recipes mentioned here
Coconut Rice
Plain steamed rice (often last night's leftovers) is the base. A hot temper of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, cashews, dried red chilli and curry leaves is bloomed in coconut oil, then fresh grated coconut is folded in and warmed through. The rice is tossed through everything off the heat, so the grains stay separate and pick up flavour rather than soften.
Coconut Rice
Coconut rice represents the intersection of technique and flavor in Indian cooking. The tempering of mustard and cumin seeds in hot oil releases their volatile aromatics, which then permeate the rice as it cooks. Curry leaves contribute herbaceous depth without overwhelming the dish. Coconut cream adds richness and subtle sweetness, creating a rice that's inherently interesting yet supportive of spiced dishes. The final resting period is crucial, steam completes the cooking while the flavors meld. This rice should taste aromatic with individual grains remaining separate.
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