Chargrilled Chicken/Frango Grelhado

This is a variation on the famous grilled chicken from Portugal, sometimes called Chicken Piri Piri though I’ve never heard any mention of this in Portugal!

Chargrilled Chicken

1 Chicken (spatchcock or cut into pieces)
2 tbs of red pepper paste (massa de pimentão)
3 crushed Bay leaves
Lemon Juice (1 lemon)
Crushed dried chillies
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbs butter
Parsley

1. Prepare the chicken, either opened spatchcock style or in pieces. You can make slight cuts across the drumsticks and thighs.

2. Marinate the chicken in the red pepper paste, bay leaves, 3/4 of the lemon juice, 2 smashed cloves of garlic and chillies. Overnight works well but even half and hour while the bbq heats up works. Massage the paste into the chicken.

3. Season generously with course sea salt (fleur de sel works great). Cook chicken over hot charcoal.

4. This is the trick! Melt the butter with 2 smashed cloves of garlic, add the rest of the lemon juice, stir and remove from heat (you can do this in a small pot on top of the bbq).  Once the chicken is cooked transfer to a hot serving place, add a tablespoon of finely chopped parsley to the butter and pour the sauce over the chicken. The mixture of the red pepper paste marinade and the hot butter will make the chicken have a delicious moist finish.

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