For a printable version of this recipe, click here.
The cuisine of Mozambique has been heavily influenced by Portuguese settlers over 500 years ago. No wonder then that a sauce made by these settlers from chili peppers, red wine vinegar, garlic, and paprika is an essential ingredient to this nation’s most famous dish. It’s called Piri Piri sauce and can be found across South Africa, Canada, and Australia as its popularity grows because of the dish: aptly called Peri Peri Chicken and is considered the unofficial national dish of Mozambique!
Ingredients
Chicken Rub
8 pcs chicken legs
1 lemon or lime
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon white pepper
Chicken Marinade
½ onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
6 pieces basil leaves
2 tablespoons oregano
½ red bell pepper
1 tablespoon Peri Peri Sauce or to taste
¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. Rub with lemon, and 2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
Place the onions, garlic, basil, oregano, bell pepper, and peri peri sauce in a food processor or blender, and then add olive oil. Pulse for about 30 seconds until blended.
Drench the chicken with peri peri marinade, place in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
When ready to grill, remove chicken from the peri peri marinade and shake off excess marinade. Reserve the marinade.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Place chicken on the grill and grill for about 10-15 minutes on each side you may need to turn the chicken occasionally on each side until it is cooked all the way.
In a small saucepan simmer the remaining peri peri marinade and the one from the chicken for about 7 minutes. Serve with chicken or mix with chicken.
Recipe adapted from africanbites.com