Peri Peri Chicken

Process 4 trimmed and chopped medium red Fresno peppers, 1 trimmed and chopped medium red bell pepper, 6 coarsely chopped garlic cloves, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a food processor until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the vessel if needed, about 20 seconds total. If you have difficulty blending, add some of the lemon juice to assist in the blending. Transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in the juice of 1 medium lemon, 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. The marinade should be just loose enough to be easily spreadable. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade (cover and refrigerate) for brushing the cooked chicken.

Pat 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks dry with paper towels. Add to the marinade in the large bowl and toss until evenly coated. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to overnight.

Heat a gas grill for direct, medium heat (about 350ºF), or prepare a charcoal grill for both direct and indirect medium heat (pile the coals on one half the grill). If the chicken has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature while the grill heats.

When the grill is ready, scrape the grates clean. Oil the grill grates with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the remaining marinade) and place on the grill skin-side down in a single layer, grilling over direct heat if grilling on charcoal. Cover and cook undisturbed until grill marks appear on the bottom, about 10 minutes.

Flip the chicken. Reduce the heat to low on a gas grill, or transfer to indirect heat on a charcoal grill. Continue to grill, flipping the chicken every 5 minutes, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat not touching bone registers at least 165ºF, 20 to 30 minutes more. Brush with the reserved 2 tablespoons marinade before serving.

Heat the oven to 350°F. If the chicken has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the remaining marinade) and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Brush with some of the reserved marinade in the bowl and bake for 15 minutes more. Discard any remaining marinade left in the bowl.

Turn on the broiler and broil until the chicken is cooked through and the skin and bits of the marinade have browned and charred slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush with the reserved 2 tablespoons marinade before serving.

Substitutions: You can substitute the chiles in the recipe to achieve your desired level of spicy heat. If you prefer a mild spice level, poblano peppers can give you a lot of flavor, and less burn. However, if you want the chicken nice and spicy, opt for spicier chiles like Thai bird’s eye chiles, or serrano peppers. Or, do a combination for a medium spice level. Often red chiles are chosen purely for the aesthetic red look or peri peri, but traditionally, you can use either green or red chiles, (or a mix).Equipment variation: In Mozambique, where peri peri (piri piri) hails from, most people make the marinade by pounding the chiles, garlic, and coarse salt in a mortar and pestle. Not everyone has a food processor, but it would be hard to find a household that didn’t have a mortar and pestle. Plus, even if there’s a choice, often a hand pounded sauce is preferred as you achieve a coarser texture that many prefer to a more paste-like peri peri.Make ahead: The peri peri sauce/marinade can be made ahead up to a few days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. The chicken can be marinated overnight.Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.