Topic: chicken piri piri

[JerryM]

the meal went very well. i messed up on the cooking though and don't feel i got the final taste as good as i could as a result.

the taste is very very good - just what i was after. even the chilli did not spoil it for the family by overpowering the dish. i added more oregano (i like the taste and u loose a bit on the bbq)

where i was wrong was the mallet stage. with hindsight i now realise that the aim was to reduce the thickness down as much as possible to something like a steak (this i did not do). the reasoning being to get a consistent thickness for cooking and then to reduce the cooking time.

my attempt was more like roasting as opposed to frying. i cooked on 1/2 gas for 1hr and then 20 mins on full. the chicken was only just about their. after cutting it up i then put the pieces back on the BBQ on low. the last piece off was the best as it had "crisped" up without loosing the moisture in the meat.

other than the best approach for cooking and the oregano i would change nothing going fwd.

i'm currently toyed on trying it with breast of chicken butterflied or sticking with the traditional approach but with a very heavy session on the mallet. both have advantage.

what's important is i loved the marinade and it suits chicken full stop (don't smell that good in the fridge mind u).

many thanks to 976bar - spot on dish - will be making it again.

[JerryM]

forgot to add.

i did not find the 3 days marinating worked it's normal magic. the taste was more akin to a 3 hr "on the surface". i put this down to the lack of the mallet use and the need to score the skin. 976bar's explanation in the 30 may post explains it better.

i will still stick to the 3 day marinade on the next go as the prospects are very good.

[adriandavidb]

Hi Jerry and 976

If it helps Jerry your Piri piri looked a lot like the stuff I ate a few times in Maputo in Mozambique (an ex-portuguese colony), Yummy!

The stuff I ate was made from decidely skinier looking chickens, much thiner, which probably down to what was available locally.  That probably helped with the cooking times!  Their version looked more the colour of roast chicken, but I've no idea of how they cooked it.  I think you probably right to give it the 'mallet treatment'!  Unfortuntely I can't recall whether they scored the skin, as it was back in '92!

Keep the good work, I'm going to try this one out myself!

[JerryM]

adriandavidb,

the key thing on the cooking (if grilling or frying/bbq) is to get an equal thickness. i'm thinking as an alternative to maybe pre cook in the oven. the leg meat cooks much slower than the breast and without equal thickness is difficult to keep it all in balance in terms of cooking.

i might just try a butterflied breast this week just for comparison. using the whole bird does sit well for me in terms of taste so i do feel it's worth persevering with.

[adriandavidb]

I agree with you there, those Mozambique chickens were quite thin on breast meat as I recall, and they were quite small birds.

I use butterflied chicken breasts for several dishes, that might work, although off the bone, as I'm sure you're aware, can end up tasting a little dry if you over do it.

Anyhow I'll have a go to and we can compare notes!

I've been looking for a recipe for this for ages, but the info I got in Africa varied so much depending on who I heard it from, interestingly this recipe contains all the ingredients that appeared in every the version I heard about, combined.  Problem was each individual method I was given missed out a key ingredient, possibly deliberate for all I know!

[976bar]

Hi Jerry,

I'm glad you enjoyed the dish, it's certainly one of my favourites. I did wonder looking at your chicken whether it was pregnant or not?? lol

But on a serious note, yes you do need to score the chicken and getting it as even as possible in terms of thickness for the grill is essential.

You can of course cook this quite well in the oven and just finish it off under the grill for that crispness.

[JerryM]

976bar,

thanks for reply - i will do as u say on the next go. i also feel sticking with the whole bird best agreeing totally with adraindavidb comment on the dryness of just using breast.

i could not resist trying the recipe out on breast though (i have all the ingredients on stock). i reduced the olive oil and chilli slightly, left out the heat stage and added the oregano up front. the rest being as spec.

the reasoning being that i could make the breast for mid week meals and keep the whole bird for a more special weekend meal

have added pics for info.

[976bar]

Thats making me feel hungry....

I'm off to get some chicken!!

[JerryM]

with hindsight i should not started to run before i could walk.

the chicken breast did not turn out well - i over did the lemon and it overpowered everything else. i also think the 3 days marinating for breast too much - more like 24hrs tops.

very clear to me now that u need to pro rata the recipe very carefully.

of interest was that the oregano taste that is so important was lost - not sure if down to the lemon or the time marinating ie why it's not added all in one in the as spec recipe. aslo did no feel missing out the heating step made any difference.

i'm sticking to the whole chicken until i've learnt more.

[976bar]

with hindsight i should not started to run before i could walk.

the chicken breast did not turn out well - i over did the lemon and it overpowered everything else. i also think the 3 days marinating for breast too much - more like 24hrs tops.

very clear to me now that u need to pro rata the recipe very carefully.

of interest was that the oregano taste that is so important was lost - not sure if down to the lemon or the time marinating ie why it's not added all in one in the as spec recipe. aslo did no feel missing out the heating step made any difference.

i'm sticking to the whole chicken until i've learnt more.

Maybe trying the chicken breast with bone in might help if you just want to cook breast only. The bones in the chicken help with not only the flavour but keeping it moist as well