Nando’s style roast chicken

Tired of Martha Stewart’s Perfect Roast Chicken, I scoured the internet for a Nando’s chicken kind of recipe. Back when Nando’s had a restaurant in Kuwait, we could go there for their amazing grilled chicken but now, alas, they’re gone.

I knew I wanted to marinade quartered chicken pieces and  grill them so I was very patient as I did my search. I didn’t have much time if I was going to make this for dinner.

This recipe from Kimba’s Kitchen was perfect. My chicken pieces were already defrosted and drained so I had enough time to marinade it for around 2 hours. The result was amazing – the chicken was crisp on the outside and succulent and tasty on the inside, not dry at all. Next time though, I will marinade it overnight and it should be much more sumptuous!

INGREDIENTS
1 kg whole chicken cut into quarters, with skin and bone
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Nando’s Hot Peri Peri Sauce (optional, for that extra “kick”)
Spray Canola

I also added 1 tbsp of the amazing Lea & Perrins’s garlic sauce.

DIRECTIONS
To make the marinade, combine the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Stir to mix thoroughly. Add salt and taste.

Dry the chicken pieces using a couple of sheets of kitchen paper and place in a bowl. Prick them with a fork all over. Add the marinade and rub onto the chicken pieces generously. Cover the bowl and seal with glad wrap. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

When the chicken is ready to be cooked, preheat oven to 200C or 180C fan forced. Spray the surface of a baking dish with spray cooking oil, place the chicken pieces onto the baking dish, and lightly brush the surface of the chicken skin with Nando’s Hot Peri Peri Sauce if desired. Spray the surface of the chicken skin lightly with the spray cooking oil.

Place baking dish into the oven and cook for approx. 35-40 minutes. The chicken is done when a metal prick inserted reveals clear liquid. If desired to get a more crispy skin, place under a the grill for around 5 minutes.

Serve hot with chips and salad, grilled or steamed vegetables or a rice pilaf.