Don’t skip over this recipe because you don’t know what piri-piri is. It’s simple: chicken marinated in a hot chile pepper marinade and then grilled. It’s Portuguese and I like it.
When making this recipe, and juicing probably my 6th lemon, I got a big squirt of lemon juice in my eye. It hurt but I’d do it all again to make this chicken. This recipe was adapted from one of my many cookbooks, The Sunset Grill. It has just the right amount of heat mixed with an intoxicating flavor that makes me want to escape to a place far away. It’s so addicting, you’ll want to keep eating.
Chicken Piri Piri (adapted from Sunset)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
- Make the marinade first. Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, cumin and salt in a bowl. Put 1/3 of the marinade in a small Tupperware container and store in the fridge. Slice the chicken breasts in half (if too large) and cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Put the chicken and remaining 2/3 of the marinade into a large Ziploc bag or a container to marinate for at least 4 hours, turning occasionally.
- Prepare a grill pan (or your outdoor grill) over medium heat. Cook the chicken until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Pour the marinade stored in the fridge into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring occasionally, bring mixture to a simmer; adjust heat to maintain simmer. Add butter and stir until melted. Pour sauce over chicken on platter. Serves 4.
I served this chicken for dinner when my friend Lizzy came over. I had been eying this dish since I bought that cookbook, but would never make it for Shaun. He doesn’t like spicy food… or rather spicy food doesn’t like him. Liz and I drank Peach Sangria alongside our dinner and enjoyed each others company. Both recipes are worth making again for great friends!
Peach Sangria (adapted from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 large ripe peaches
- 1 bottle of Moscato white wine, chilled
- Garnishes: mint leaves and peach slices
Directions:
Combine water and brown sugar in a saucepan and cook until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Cool. Peel and pit peaches. Combine sugar syrup and peeled peaches in a food processor; process until smooth. Fill wine glasses with ice. Pour about 2 tbsp peach mixture into each wine glass. Top off with Moscato white wine. Garnish, if desired. Take a sip and enjoy!
Tutti Mangia!
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