By Julie Lees
Paul Ainsworth’s piri-piri chicken
This is sure to be a winner winner chicken dinner! Paul Ainsworth is serving up his tasty piri-piri chicken that’s filled with vibrant colours and punchy spice. It’s crowd-pleasing, delicious - and best of all, uses a spatchcock chicken to make it the juiciest roast chicken you'll ever taste.
Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:48:47 GMT
Nutrition balance score
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Ingredients
4 servings
For piri piri sauce
100mlolive oil
120gwhite onion
diced
2 Tbspdried oregano
2garlic cloves
large, grated fine
3 tspdried chilli flakes
2red chillies
chopped
30gdark soft brown sugar
1 tsphot smoked paprika
70gsherry vinegar
300groasted red peppers
sliced
1lemon
zest and juice
10ghot sauce
15gfresh coriander
salt
for seasoning
pepper
for seasoning
For the chicken
1spatchcock chicken
whole, marinated in 3 tablespoons of piri piri sauce
350gtinned chopped pomodoro tomatoes
1 Tbspdried oregano
300gfresh cherry tomatoes
or plum, halved
1red pepper
large, de-seeded and thinly sliced
1yellow pepper
large, de-seeded and thinly sliced
4 sprigsthyme
250gcooking chorizo
cut into 2cm pieces
300gnew potatoes
cooked and sliced, lightly simmered in salted water until just tender
0.5 bunchcoriander
lightly chopped
0.5 bunchbasil
roughly chopped or torn
100gfeta
diced
1zest of lemon
finely grated
1zest of lime
finely grated
5pickled chilies
cut into thick slices
salt
for seasoning
pepper
for seasoning
For the piri piri mayonnaise
Instructions
To make piri piri sauce
Step 1
1. Add the oil to a large saucepan and over a medium heat add the onions, oregano, garlic, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt and start to sweat/soften the onions with no colour.
Step 2
2. Add the chopped red chillies, brown sugar and smoked paprika and cook out for a further 2 minutes.
Step 3
3. Add the sherry vinegar to the pan and reduce until evaporated.
Step 4
4. Add the red peppers and cook for 2 more minutes, then add the lemon zest and juice and hot sauce and remove from the heat.
Step 5
5. Place the mix into a food blender with the fresh coriander and blitz until very smooth, check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Place in a tub or jar and refrigerate until needed.
To prepare the chicken
Step 6
1. Rub the piri piri sauce all over your chicken and leave to marinade in the fridge for 4 hours at least - 24 hours if you can!
Step 7
2. Add the chopped tomatoes to a roasting tray and season well with salt and pepper then sprinkle the oregano all over
Step 8
3. Add the cut cherry tomatoes including the vines if you have them along with the sliced peppers and mix well through the chopped tomatoes
Step 9
4. In a hot frying pan quickly colour the chorizo then add the sliced new potatoes and colour them. Once golden add to the tray with the other ingredients.
Step 10
5. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and place on top of the main ingredients in the tray and place into a preheated oven at 190C, Gas 5 and roast for about 40 - 45 minutes depending on the size of the chicken - If you have a food thermometer, probe the meat on the bone. It’s cooked when you hit 70-75C.
Step 11
6. Remove the tray from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Step 12
7. Finish the tray with fresh chopped coriander, basil, diced feta and grated fresh lemon and lime zest, finish with a pinch of rock salt all over the chicken.
To make the mayonnaise
Step 13
1. Combine all the ingredients together and mix well.
Step 14
2. Finally, drizzle the piri piri mayonnaise all over the roasted chicken and serve in the centre of the table.
