Piri Piri Chicken

Ingredients

1 large free range chicken
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp ground piri piri chillies or cayenne pepper
3 tbsp piri piri oil
1 x 400ml coconut milk
The juice and zest of 2 large ripe lemons
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper

Method

1. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a clean, flat, work surface.
2. Starting at bottom end of the chicken, cut along one side of backbone with sharp kitchen scissors, then do the same on the other side of the back bone.
3. Turn the chicken over and open it up, press your hands down hard on the breast bone to flatten the chicken.
4. Now mix together the garlic, ginger, ground chillies, coconut milk, piri piri oil and lemon juice and zest and white pepper.
5. Place the chicken in a shallow glass dish and pour over the marinade and rub it all over the chicken.
6. Set the chicken aside for at least 30 minutes to marinade. (Can be overnight in the fridge too for added flavour)
7. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
8. Place the chickens with the left over marinade into a roasting tray and spoon over any leftover marinade.
9. Place the chicken into the oven and roast for 10 minutes and decrease to 180°C.
10. Roast at 200°C for the first 10 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 180°C and cook till golden and moist.
11. Serve on a board/platter with cumin potato wedges and a large green salad.
Tips: Before the chicken goes into the oven, it should be at room temperature, so it is best to take it out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking for a whole chicken and 30 minutes before cooking for chicken pieces.