There are as many ways of making piri piri as there are theories about its origin. The chilies, dried or fresh, are marinated with garlic, oil and lemon or lime juice, wine vinegar or even whiskey, brandy, cognac and port. Some people add onion, ginger, coriander seeds, bay leaf, oregano, thyme or tarragon and season it with whole or ground peppers and peppers of various kinds. To reduce the spiciness, there are some that also add raw or roasted tomato and red pepper. That is why the appearance and consistency of piri piri is as variable as its ingredient list, ranging from a macerated chili oil similar to that found in Italian pizzerias to an orange sauce, cooked, crushed and with a creamy texture. Its versatility doesn't end there; Piri can be used to marinate meat and seafood - especially chicken and shrimp - and as a side sauce.
For this recipe you can use piri piri chili or any other type of fresh or dried red chilli, such as cayenne. In general, but there are always exceptions, the bigger the chili, the less itchy and the dry version tends to be more hot than the fresh one. If you like the spiciness very moderately and you are going to use fresh chilies, you can reduce its intensity by removing the seeds and internal nerves with the tip of a knife and using them whole, without mincing. Remember that after handling chillies you have to wash your hands well with a scouring pad and soap because if we touch one eye the stinging is intense.
Piri Piri Sauce Recipe
- 125 ml of virgin olive oil
- 125 ml of lemon juice
- 25 grams of red chili or chili paste
- 10 grams of fresh coriander
- 5 grams of fresh parsley
- 3 garlic cloves
- Salt
Now we are going to detail the preparation of a recipe for piri piri sauce, a very typical sauce from some coastal areas of Africa and also well known on the coasts of Portugal. It is a type of sauce that is used to serve together with all kinds of fish cooked on the grill or roasted, and even with prawns. It is a sauce with a fairly spicy flavor, so not everyone will like it, although it can be prepared with a lesser amount of chili to make it less spicy while maintaining part of its characteristic flavor.
It is a sauce of a really simple preparation, so we can have it ready in a few minutes, but always bear in mind that it needs at least 24 hours of rest to be ready before it can be served. This is something that forces us to have to do it the day before we want to use it in our dishes, so that it is perfect, so it is not one of those sauce that we can make when we feel like having it, but it must be made the day before. in anticipation of needing it.
And to get down to work with the recipe, we will start by peeling the garlic cloves and pouring them into the blender glass that we are going to use in the preparation. Then we wash the parsley and fresh coriander, drain it well and add it to the garlic, removing the stems to use only the leaves of both ingredients. Then we squeeze the lemon juice and also pour it into the blender glass, along with the chopped red chili or the chili paste, whichever you prefer to use or whatever you find in the market. Once we have everything thrown into the glass, we begin to beat with the mixer until everything is well crushed.
We add salt to taste and while we beat at low speed we begin to add the virgin olive oil little by little, without stopping to beat, as it is done when we prepare mayonnaise. With this way of adding the oil you get the mixture to emulsify little by little and we get a very homogeneous sauce with a perfect texture. At the end of making it, we are going to pour the sauce into a container, which we will close and let it rest for at least 24 hours at room temperature, and after this time we can serve this wonderful piri piri sauce, with which you will surprise your guests with total security, especially if they have never tried it before.
Servings / Units: 1
Approximate Preparation Time: 15M
Approximate Calories: 175
Ingredients for chicken thighs
4 chicken thighs
1 onion
½ glass of water
4 small potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Piri-piri sauce
To start with the recipe for chicken thighs in piri-piri sauce, the first thing you have to do is preheat the oven to 170º. Once you have it, take a tray, add and spread a little olive oil, and then place the thighs well. Add a little oil again, this time on top of the meat, as well as salt and pepper them a little.
Now wash, peel and cut the potatoes into slices. In the same way, take the onion, remove the outer layers and cut it into julienne strips. Then take both ingredients and spread them around the thighs. Now that you have it ready, add half a glass of water and put it in the oven for a quarter of an hour. This will be the perfect time to prepare the piri-piri sauce.
When that time has passed and you have made the piri-piri sauce, open the oven and carefully try to place the hot sauce on top of the chicken thighs. When you're done, close the oven again and let it cook for at least 40 more minutes.
However, do not go too far, since when about twenty minutes have passed you will have to pierce the meat so that it absorbs the piri-piri sauce better. In the same way, before the time passes, during the last minutes raise the temperature so that the skin is more crisp.
Tips and Recommendations
Congratulations, you have ready the chicken thighs in piri-piri sauce! But, just in case, we give you some tips in case you need them. For example, you have to take into account that the preparation time will depend on the thickness and size of the meat. Therefore, it will be a good idea to check its condition, since it may take more time to bake.
On the other hand, we give you other tips, although this time related to versioning the recipe. Remember that the intensity of the spicy is chosen by you. But if you're not used to this flavor, you'd better start with a milder version. From there you can increase the amount of chili. And it is that in this way you will avoid the possibility of hating this tasty recipe.
Finally, it is not strictly necessary that you add potatoes either. You can choose, for example, some type of vegetable, such as peppers. In the same way, if you are tired of cooking with this recipe for chicken with piri-piri sauce, you can do it with fish or any other type of meat that you like.
Piri Piri Sauce Recipe