Topic: chicken piri piri

[JerryM]

976bar,

need your help on which chilli to go for.

long term i will get the real mcoy off the internet.

at mo all i can get local is in the pic L to Right : fresh red chilli from my local asian store (owner says most customer use in thai cooking to make a paste), la buyo (from Philippines, market stall holder knows his stuff), my std fodder rajah crushed red chillies.

the la buyo taste pretty good - hot but with a nutty taste. i don't feel the rajah are what's needed so it's fresh or dried.

also which do you prefer brandy or whiskey.

i'm also planning on marinating for longer than u suggest ~ 3days. will this be ok.

many thanks

[976bar]

I would just use dried birds eye chilli's as there are a lot of chilli's out there but some are very difficult to find.

I tend to use brandy rather than whiskey, although I have used whiskey. But if you remember the origins of this recipe, I doubt that when this was invented, whiskey was probably not around in the african/portuguese parts of the world. Also whiskey gives it a more coarse flavour, but again it all depends on individual taste, so why not try both and see what suits your palate best....

Marinating is always a personal thing. I am with you on this one, the longer you leave a marinade the better it gets....

I hope you enjoy the end result

[JerryM]

976bar,

many thanks for prompt response.

i will go for brandy.

i've just used the la buyo chillies in a cooked tomato sauce (for nachos) and they taste pretty good - so will go with them (they look a bit like dried birds eye).

am sure the result will be spot on (the look and feel of the ingredients for me says it all). intend to get the chicken on tuesday to be ready for next w/e.

best wishes

[Unclebuck]

looks like a good recipe thanks. Jerry looking forward to the pics of the final dish...mmmm 

[JerryM]

a quick ps,

just for interest i thought i would cut one of the fresh red chilli open to compare the taste. i don't think they are for this type of dish and will freeze for putting in mex chilli.

[JerryM]

UB,

will do on the photo - no probs

i intend to cook on my gas bbq.

[JerryM]

976bar,

just made the molho (is it pronounce as it reads molho or moyho - i suppose it don't matter). have added pics of ingredients in the pan ready for cooking and the finished marinade ready for the 24hr storage.

i've based a cup on 120ml (rightly or wrong) and have 1/2 a jam jar of the finished stuff.

got to add it tastes pretty good to me - the salt is high but i'd of expected that as it will be lost in the chicken and cooking. fully expecting it to mature more over the next 24hrs.

the chilli's (labuyo - one word) are not bad in terms of heat either - just right.

i must admit i wondered why it needed heating but i know realise it sort of gets it gelling together quicker.

going for chicken tomorrow.

[JerryM]

976bar,

all set for tonight.

i took a pic of the chicken marinating but it don't look that good so decided not to post.

on the marinating would appreciate your thought's (too late for this go). i could not decide whether to only coat skin side or both (did both). for me on reflection I'm surprised that the skin is not scored slightly to allow the marinade to get into the meat better. i've also turned the chicken over each night for the last 3 nights in hope of helping the marinating.

[976bar]

Hi Jerry,

Looks like you're gonna have a meal to remember tonight!! I always score the meat so that the marinade penetrates. I hate those dishes that when you put in your mouth you get the initial flavour, then as you chew the meat you realise that it was probably put in at the last minute....

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do... let me know you're thoughts. One thing I might add is that, this is a typical dish made by Portuguese people that I know. Most of us have only ever tasted Piri Piri Chicken at Nando's which is commercially made.....

[JerryM]

976bar,

thanks for info on the scoring - agree totally.