Chicken Peri-Peri with Charred Corn

• 8chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
• 4red chillies, roughly chopped
• 4garlic cloves
• 1red pepper, roughly chopped
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tspdried oregano
• salt and black pepper
• 4corn on the cob, husked
• 1 tbspbutter
• 1lime, juiced
• 15 gcoriander leaves (optional)
• 900 ggarlic and herb rice, cooked (optional)

Method

1. 1Blend the chillies, garlic, red pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika and oregano to a smooth, vivid red paste. Season generously with salt and black pepper, then taste the paste on the tip of a teaspoon; it should be punchy, sharp from the vinegar, with the smoked paprika sitting just behind the heat.
2. 2Score the chicken thighs deeply 2–3 times through to the bone; this lets the marinade get right in and helps the heat reach the centre evenly. Season the thighs with salt and pepper before the marinade hits, then coat all over with two-thirds of the peri-peri, working it into the cuts. Reserve the remaining third in a clean covered bowl in the fridge for the serving sauce. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight. The longer it sits, the deeper the seasoning reaches.
3. 3Heat the oven to 220°C fan. Sit the chicken skin-side up on a rack over a roasting tin; the rack matters, because thighs sitting in their own juices steam instead of crisp. Roast for 30–35 minutes, until the skin is charred and lacquered at the edges, the juices run clear, and the thighs read 75°C for 30 seconds in the thickest part, away from the bone.
4. 4While the chicken roasts, get a griddle pan or barbecue ripping hot; you want it smoking before the corn touches it. Lay the cobs on in a single layer, don't crowd the pan, and grill for 10–12 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until you have deep black char marks on all sides and the kernels are sweet and smoky. That char is the aim: the sugars in the corn caramelise and pick up the smoke.
5. 5Roll the hot corn in butter so it melts straight into the kernels, then add the lime juice straight over the top and season with a good pinch of salt.
6. 6Tip the reserved marinade into a small pan and bring to a rolling boil for 1–2 minutes; this turns the raw garlic-and-chilli paste into a safe, punchy sauce. Watch it; once it bubbles and the colour deepens, pull it off. Taste and adjust with another pinch of salt if needed.
7. 7Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes. Divide the thighs and corn between four plates, spoon over the cooked peri-peri sauce and add the optional coriander and warmed cooked rice if using.

Per serving

kcal

509

protein

47.9g

fibre

4.4g

carbs

27.1g

fat

24.1g