← Nouns Cooking · West & East African

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg chicken leg quarters (or a spatchcocked chicken)
• 6 red bird's-eye chillies (fewer for milder)
• 1 red pepper, roughly chopped
• 5 cloves Garlic
• ½ Onion, roughly chopped
• 2 Lemon, juiced
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 80 ml Olive oil
• 2 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tsp Dried thyme
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Salt

Method

1. Blend the chillies, red pepper, garlic, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, paprika, oregano, thyme, sugar and salt into a smooth sauce. Wear gloves when handling the chillies.
2. Slash the chicken pieces a few times to the bone. Set aside a third of the sauce in the fridge for serving and rub the rest all over the chicken. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
3. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Put the chicken skin-side up on a rack over a lined tray and roast for 40–45 min, basting once, until charred at the edges and it reaches 75°C (165°F) at the thickest part.
4. For extra char, finish under a hot grill or on the braai for 3–4 min.
5. Warm the reserved sauce in a small pan for 2 min and serve it alongside the chicken, with chips, rice or bread rolls.

Tips

• Keep the reserved sauce separate from the start: never reuse marinade that touched raw chicken unless you boil it.
• Bird's-eye chillies vary a lot; start with 3 and taste the sauce before marinating.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Chef Lola's Kitchen Demand Africa