A family trip to Portugal turned into a kitchen quest for one home cook, who set out to recreate the piri piri chicken she ate there. The dish, she writes, is "a celebration of the pepper (also known as an African bird's eye chili), grown all over southern Africa and Portugal, after which it is named, but blended into a punchy marinade that keeps the heat at bay."
The trip itself was nearly accidental. Faced with high summer rental prices on Long Island, the family opted for a villa in Portugal instead. Once there, they found restaurants to be "very kid-friendly," with many offering children's menus. That made it easier to eat out and try more local food, including the piri piri chicken that became the focus of her return-home cooking.
Recreating the dish proved less straightforward. "No two people from Ghana to Goa seem to agree on what is in it," she writes, noting recipes that call for basil, ginger, tomatoes, sweet peppers, thyme, oregano, or just chiles, garlic, and bay leaves. Some recipes simply call for a bottle of piri piri sauce.
She distilled the recipes to the most common ingredients and blended them into a paste, adjusting until she was happy. The result was a hit: the family skipped pizza at the park to eat the chicken cold after the kids went to bed. She cautions that she is "hardly an expert" and cannot promise it is the most authentic version, but calls it her go-to because the ingredients are simple, the heat is adjustable, and it works with a whole chicken or parts, on the grill or in the oven.
Ingredients and Method
The marinade combines garlic, shallot, red bell pepper, one piri piri or bird's eye chili, parsley or cilantro, paprika, dried oregano, lemon zest and juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and kosher salt. For a 3 1/2-pound chicken or 3 1/4 pounds of bone-in, skin-on parts, blend the ingredients until smooth. Reserve one-third of the marinade for serving.
To spatchcock a whole chicken, cut along each side of the backbone with kitchen shears and remove it, then flatten the bird. Marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or up to a day in the refrigerator. Grill over medium-high heat, skin side down, for about 15 minutes until charred, then flip and cook another 15 to 25 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into thicker parts reads 165°F. For pieces, cook about 10 minutes per side. Without a grill, roast a spatchcocked chicken at 450°F for 35 to 45 minutes, or pieces for 30 to 35 minutes, until 165°F. Rest five minutes before cutting. Garnish with herbs and serve with the reserved sauce.
The recipe serves four and takes 60 to 70 minutes total. The cook notes that the heat level can be adjusted by adding more chili to taste.
Editorial Notes