Portuguese Style Grilled Chicken...100th post

This post is a milestone for my blog as it is actually my 100th post. It has taken forever to get here as I have come to realize that food blogging is not an easy thing. It is soooooooo time consuming! And as if cooking didn't take long enough; taking top shot photos of the dish and then writing about it and actually publishing it means you really need to manage your time effectively.  Something that I have not been able to do too well considering I do have a life outside food!  Although this sounds like I'm talking about throwing in the towel on blogging - trust me, I ain't!  On the contrary, I take pride in my little piece of the web and after 100 posts and nearly 30,000 views, I can think of nothing better but to go on and fill cyberspace with more and more of the foodie gems of life that I have uncovered and wish to share with the world wide network.  So like or not I am here to stay!
To commemorate the 100th post I have chosen a real favourite dish of mine.  This is my version of Portuguese style chicken - yes the kind you get at that famous place that rhymes with "Dandos".   I have made this a number of times and it is a hit with all chilli lovers.  The secret is in the marinade - get your hands on a bottle of pickled peri peri chillies.  It's what seperates this dish from other regular grilled chicken dishes.  You can make it completely in the oven, but the second grilling is what imparts that sought after charred flavour.

To make the marinade. Blend the following in a Food Processor:

5 x Peri Peri Chillies (If you like it hot then add more and get ready to sweat)

Alternatively you can use 10 x Red Chillies (if you like it mild use the less hotter ones..and less chillies of course)

4 cloves x Garlic

1 Tbsp x Dried Oregano

Juice & Zest of 1 large Lemon

A good splash of Olive Oil (to get the marinade all creamy)

A pinch of Salt to taste   
1.5 kg Chicken pieces, 
Directions
Combine the marinade ingredients with the chicken in a bowl and leave in the fridge overnight for best results - if you're in a hurry then prick the chicken all over and marinate for a couple of hours - not as good but will suffice
Heat the oven to 200 degrees celcius
Remove as much marinade from the chicken and place the chicken pieces on a wire frame over a roasting tray, this will ensure that the chicken cooks evenly and the dripping juices are caught
Cook chicken in the oven for 1 hour turning over and basting with the drippings every 15 minutes
Put the leftover marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil then reduce to a thick saucy consistency
Now the dish can be completed here if you choose, all you have to do is baste with the marinade reduction and cook in the oven for a further 10 minutes on each side then serve

The second grilling - do this if you want that grilled taste and charred flavour just like the shop's - I love it!
Heat a grill pan, heavy frypan or bbq hotplate
Baste the chicken pieces with the marinade and fry on each side for 3-5 minutes
Serve piping hot with a wedge of lemon and a napkin to wipe the sweat.

Warning: Chillies and high heat equal a lot of smoke - so unless you have an industrial strength rangehood or lungs of steel, I recommend this step be completed in a well ventilated area like the backyard so you can make the neighbours jealous!      

Delicious, marinated, charred and devilishly hot for the taking - definitely not "Blandos"

Here's is a serving suggestion - The two piece feed - Spiced Rice recipe in the Basics page

Chilli Con Carne

I have had a surprising winter crop of capsicums that have even ripened to the crimson red shade.  I would have expected that my plants would not have fruited until spring or even summer as I know they are heat loving plants.  Perhaps, it is because the variety I have planted in my vegie patch is Californian Wonder and the fruit are on the US season mode.  Now while the capsicums harvested are not huge they are certainly flavoursome.  I found the smaller size capsicums do not grill to well in a hot oven, because by the time you remove the skin there is not much flesh left.  I needed to find a way to use my capsicums that highlighted their flavour and did them some justice.  For this I turned to the big US state of Texas where Chilli Con Carne is a staple.  While the dish has a Hispanic origin and the name is derived from the Spanish – chilli with meat – the Tex-Mex influence is where my recipe hails and it takes a sharp turn into Italian territory with a Pepperonata (Chilli Pepper Stew) style base.  My Chilli con Carne packs a punch of flavour from the fresh veg and spices and these ingredients are further resonated by the long slow cooking of the dish.  I left this recipe out for my dad (a big curry cook) and he was able to cook it perfectly (probably better than I would have…).  He even made some quick flour tortillas - whipped up with a mix of plain and wholemeal flour, a little sugar and hot water – and these went down a treat.

Ingredients

750g x Capsicum, seeds and membrane removed then diced

2 x medium onions, diced  

2 x large carrots, diced

4 x Garlic cloves, crushed

1kg x Mince Beef

1tbsp x Cumin powder

1tsp x Cayenne Pepper (or more if you like it hot…like me)

2 x Thyme sprigs, leaves removed

1tbsp x Dried oregano

½ cup White Wine

½ cup Red Wine

1tbsp x Dark Soy

1tbsp x Chilli Paste (Sambal Olek)

2tbsp x Tomato Paste

2 x Large Tomatoes diced (or ½ can Tomatoes)

1-2 cups of Chicken Stock  

400g x Kidney Beans, drained    

Directions 

Prepare a mixture of the soy sauce, chilli paste (sambal olek), tomato paste and diced tomatoes.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot (dutch ovens are great for this)

Add the onion and brown gently then add crushed garlic, carrots and capsicum.  Cook gently, sweating down the vegetables.

Now add the mince and brown all over until there is no more pink visible. (You may want to brown the mince separately and dry up as much water as possible then add to heavy pot with vegies)

Turn the heat up slightly and sprinkle in the ground cumin, cayenne pepper, thyme and oregano and combine well, dry frying for about a minute.

Pour in the wines and allow the liquid to be reduced by a third.

The prepared soy and tomato mixture can be stirred in now.

Depending on how much liquid is in the dish at this point add stock accordingly. 

I suggest, start with 1 cup and add more if required  after a ½ hour of cooking.  You do not need an overly saucy finished dish.

Turn the heat to low and cover the pot.  Cook for at least an hour  This long slow cooking will ensure the ingredients are perfectly combined in harmony.

In the last 10 minutes of cooking stir in the drained Kidney Beans and allow to heat through.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and guacamole and pickled jalapeños on the side.  Chilli con Carne can be eaten with rice or tortillas.  You can even go the Tex-Mex route and have a serve on a hot dog – you have a “Chilli Dawg” then.  

Thai Chili Basil Chicken

Normally I would associate my creations in Thai cuisine to be built on a coconut base. Many a Thai Red or Green curry has made its way from my wok, to my plate, to my belly. This time however, I embarked on a different side of my Thai culinary repertoire - Chili Basil Chicken.
Surprisingly, I only discovered this dish at the beginning of 2011, whilst on holidays in sunny Queensland. On the Sunshine Coast, I found that there was no shortage of Thai eateries. It seems like the balmy weather makes the taste buds of Queenslanders crave (and tolerate!) the hot and the spicy. Needless to say my meal time decisions were now pretty much made for me quite instantly and Thai food was the clear winner.
I ordered a plate of Chili Basil Chicken at a hawker style street-side shop with limited outdoor seating shared with the adjoining pizzeria. The combination of flavours is what hit me for six as it was totally unexpected that a Thai dish, without coconut milk, tasted so good. And like most good stir fries - the simple ingredients are what give this dish both its exuberance and balance. Oh! And it is ready in minutes, so ideal weeknight fare.  Try it out.  You will be pleasantly surprised, as I was.
INGREDIENTS - to serve 5-6
3 x 400g Chicken Breasts, skin removed
2tbsp x Vegetable Oil
4 x Garlic Cloves, sliced thinly
2 x Medium Onions, diced finely
400g x Capsicum, sliced into strips
60ml x Soy Sauce (Light Soy gives the dish more zing, Dark Soy makes it more mellow...you choose)
60ml x Oyster Sauce
2tbsp x Sweet Soy (Kecap Manis)
125ml x Water 
4 x Red Chillies, sliced finely (adjust the amount depending how hot you like it)
1 x bunch Thai Basil - regular Basil can be substituted but it lacks the punchy flavour of it's Asian cousin
4 Kaffir Lime leaves, vein removed then sliced into fine strands
DIRECTIONS
Combine the sauces and taste for sweet and salty balance.  Remember this sauce will be diluted with the water and cooking juices so it will develop more flavour.
Slice chicken into stir fry strips
Heat a wok on medium and add half the oil and garlic.  Sautee gently do not allow garlic to burn
Turn heat up to high and add half the chicken strips.  Stir continuously until the meat is sealed all over. 
Remove the chicken and keep aside.  Repeat process with remaining oil, garlic and chicken.
Return all chicken to the wok and add the onion.  Stir fry for 4 minutes.
Pour in the combined sauces and combine well to coat the chicken.
Add the water a little at a time, tasting the sauce with each addition for a balance of flavours.
Stir through the basil leaves and chilli slices
Cook for a minute or two then remove from heat.
Garnish with the slivers of kaffir lime leaves.
Serve immediately with Thai Jasmine Rice

"When I serve this up at family dinners it always gets rave reviews and it is one of my favourite dishes to cook. For me it is not quite the same as that shop in the Sunshine Coast but it comes close and definitely brings back fond holiday memories...."