Ingredients
For the Peri-Peri sauce
- 1 whole red bell pepper canned, liquid drained
- 1 small red onion roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves whole and peeled
- 3 Peruvian yellow chillies** or 4.5 tbsp Peruvian yellow chilli paste
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lime zest only
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp olive oil + more for roasting
- 2 tbsp Peruvian panca chilli**
For the chicken
- 4 chicken breasts
- Vegetable oil for cooking
For the roasted potato wedges
- 400 g small potatoes cut in wedges
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Peri-Peri Sauce
- If you're using whole fresh or frozen Peruvian yellow chillies, clean two of them by cutting off both tips and then in half. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and veins. I left the other one whole for the spicy factor and chopped it in medium pieces. If you were only able to find yellow chilli paste, place it straight into the blender without going into the oven.
- If you're using whole, dried panca chillies, first hydrate them in boiling water for 30 minutes. Then remove the top and bottom and add to the baking tray to go into the oven. If you're using chilli paste, add directly to the blender.
- Place the chillies, onion, garlic cloves and red bell pepper in a roasting dish and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast in a preheated oven at 200°C / 390°F for 20-30min or until very golden and charred in spots.
- Place the roasted ingredients in the blender and include their juices, too. Add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce as well. Blend until smooth and correct the salt level. Your Peri-Peri sauce is now ready to use!
For the Peri-Peri chicken
- Place the chicken breasts on a chopping board and cover with baking paper. Use a rolling pin to gently hit the chicken pieces to make them thinner. This helps to cook the breast more evenly and also helps the marinade add flavour to it.
- Place 2 tablespoons of sauce per breast in a container and cover them thoroughly with the sauce. Close the container and let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. You can also use a grill, the taste is amazing! Brush vegetable oil on the skillet and place the chicken on top. Cook until 3/4 of it turns lighter in colour and then flip for an extra 2-3 minutes.
For the roasted potato wedges
- Mix the potatoes with the olive oil, butter, salt and pepper and roast at 180°C / 350°F for 30-45min or until very golden and soft on the inside. Give them a stir halfway through.
Notes
** Feel free to replace both these chillies for local ones if you can't find them whole or in a paste. I do love the result with them, though!
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