Peri Peri Portugese Chicken

Ingredients:

1 large red onion chopped in big chunks

3 Habanero Peppers

7 Chili Peppers

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 12 oz. jar of roasted red peppers

4 cloves garlic, minced

zest of one lemon

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

To finish the sauce:

zest of one lemon

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Turn your broiler on high.

Place your onions and peppers on a baking sheet. Toss them with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Broil until blistered on both sides. 

When cool enough to handle, chop and place in a food processor. Be sure to puree well. Add the garlic, drained roasted red peppers, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, lemon zest, smoked paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.

Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and add the bay leaves. Simmer slowly on medium heat for 20-30 minutes. 

Let the sauce cool to warm. Remove the bay leaves and add the additional lemon juice, lemon zest and red wine vinegar and then return the sauce to the food processor and puree again. Slowly stream in the olive oil while the food processor is running to make the sauce nice and thick.

Brush this sauce on your salt and peppered chicken and marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

Place chicken in the oven uncovered for about 45-50 minutes.

Turn your broiler on low.

Brush some more of the sauce on the chicken. Broil for about 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on your chicken so that it doesn't burn. 

Do not place the chicken too close to the broiler.

I place my chicken on the middle rack while broiling. Serve with some rice and salad and your dinner is ready!