Mozambique Piri Piri Chicken

Ingredients

6 garlic cloves minced
2 bay leaves
3 to 10 fresh chillies (piri piri chillies) minced - 10 is extremely hot, 3 to 5 is recommended. Bird chillies can be substituted. Piri Piri chillies are also known as gindungo in western Africa
2 cups cocunut milk
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika powder
2 chickens cut into serving pieces - 3 lbs of cleaned prawns can be substituted for the chicken
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil

Procedure

In a large bowl mix the chillies, bay leaves, garlic and paprika so as to form a paste.
Add the coconut milk slowly mixing in.
Score the skin of the chicken pieces
Place the chicken pieces in the spice mixture, cover and marinade in the fridge for 12 hours. Turn the pieces often so there is a coating all over
After marinading remove the chicken pieces and put the liquid aside.
To the liquid add the lemon juice, butter and olive oil and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Keep some sauce aside as a Mozambican dipping sauce.
Grill the chicken over some coals or under a grill. Baste the chicken often with the sauce.
When the chicken is cooked through, serve and put some of the sauce in a bowl or dipping the chicken in.

Piri Piri is a chili found in Mozambique and Angola. A much favoured chili in Southern African cuisine and also available as Piri Piri sauce. Piri Piri Chicken is truly a spicy dish worth trying.

Serving Information

Serves: 4