Peri Peri Chicken with Raisin Relish

Entertain your guests this Heritage Day with this top-notch raisin relish recipe.  The perfect accompaniment to your Braai Day chicken.

 

Serves 4

Recipe by Hein van Tonder – www.heinstirred.com

8 skin-on chicken drumstick and thigh portions

For the peri-peri marinade:

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed with the back of a knife and skin removed
• 3 birds eye chillies, roughly chopped
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped
• 125ml red wine vinegar
• 75ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Juice from 1 large lemon
• 5ml sea salt flakes
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the raisin relish:

• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup cucumber chunks, seeds removed
• 1 small red onion, finely sliced
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 birds eye chilli, sliced (optional)
• 125ml apple cider vinegar
• 125ml water
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 birds eye chilli, sliced (optional)

 

Make the Peri-Peri Marinade

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until all the ingredients are finely chopped and the mixture is a liquid sauce

Transfer to a saucepan and cook over a slow simmer for 12 minutes, stirring regularly

Check the seasoning and add more salt, lemon juice or sugar if needed. The sauce should be spicy and tangy.

Let the sauce cool for an hour or so

Place the chicken in a shallow dish

Pour over the peri-peri sauce and let the chicken marinade for at least two hours, preferably overnight

 

Make the Raisin Relish

Place raisins, cucumber, red onion, mustard seeds, garlic and chilli in a bowl

Bring vinegar, brown sugar, salt and water to the boil, stirring until the sugar and salt has dissolved

Pour the hot liquid into the bowl with the raisins and stir to combine

Cover and let it cool to room temperature, then set aside to stand for least 2 hours before serving

 

When ready to braai

Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve some marinade) and place over the hot braai

Braai the chicken until cooked through and to your liking, basting with the peri-peri marinade from time to time

Remove the chicken from the braai and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving with the raisin relish

The relish can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days