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Portuguese Peri Peri Cockerel

17/11/2023

The peri peri cockerel is a typical dish of Portuguese cuisine, known for its spicy and bold flavor due to the peri peri sauce, which has chili pepper as its main ingredient. Here’s how you can prepare it with an Italian twist, perhaps using a good extra virgin olive oil to emphasize the Mediterranean flavors and adding a pinch of oregano for a more complex aroma.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole cockerel (can be substituted with chicken)
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the peri peri sauce:

  • 125 ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 10 hot red chili peppers (adjust according to spice tolerance)
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
  • The juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh or dry oregano
  • Salt to taste

Preparation

  1. To prepare the peri peri sauce, start by cleaning the chili peppers, removing the seeds if you want a less spicy sauce. Blend the peppers with the extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, paprika, lemon juice, and oregano until you get a smooth sauce. Season with salt.

  2. Clean the cockerel by removing any residual feathers and internal organs. Rinse it and pat it dry with paper towels. Then, spatchcock it by cutting along the breast or along the back.

  3. Rub the cockerel with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, then brush it generously with the peri peri sauce you prepared.

  4. Marinate the cockerel in the peri peri sauce for at least 2 hours, or, if possible, overnight, covering it and placing it in the refrigerator.

  5. Preheat the oven to 200 °C or prepare a grill.

  6. Cook the cockerel in the oven for about 40-45 minutes or grill it until it is well browned on the outside and cooked on the inside, turning occasionally and basting with the remaining peri peri sauce.

  7. Let the meat rest for a few minutes out of the oven before serving, so that the juices redistribute.

Trivia

The peri peri cockerel is traditionally accompanied by baked or fried potatoes and some seasonal vegetables. The name “peri peri” comes from the variety of chili pepper used in the sauce, known in some parts of Africa as “piri piri,” and it was brought to Portugal from the African colonies.

And to conclude in style, you could pair this dish with a fresh and fruity rosé wine that can balance the spiciness of the peri peri sauce.

Portuguese Peri Peri Cockerel