Piri-Piri Sauce (Fresh & Cooked)

Fresh Piri Piri Sauce

120g red Thai or African bird’s-eye chillies, stems removed
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
50ml red wine vinegar
50ml extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
25g coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

Blend the Base
Place the chillies, onion, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and salt into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blitz on high speed for about 30 seconds until finely chopped.

Emulsify the Sauce
With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the vinegar and then the olive oil to create a thick, emulsified sauce. Scrape down the sides and continue blending until smooth or to your desired texture.

Add the Fresh Herbs
Add the chopped coriander and pulse just a few times to incorporate. You want flecks of fresh green rather than fully blitzed herbs.

Taste and Adjust
Taste the sauce and adjust the salt, lemon or vinegar to balance acidity, heat and salt to your liking.

Store or Use Immediately
Transfer the sauce to a clean jar or bottle. You can use the sauce right away, but for best flavour, let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours to allow everything to meld. It will keep for up to 2 weeks refrigerated.

Cooked Peri-Peri Sauce

2 red peppers
1 red onion
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
10 small red African bird’s-eye chillies
2 tbsp smoked paprika (or plain paprika)
10g fresh oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

Char the Vegetables
Start by roasting the red peppers and red onion. This can be done in a hot oven, under a grill, on a BBQ, or ideally over a wood fire. Alternatively, roughly chop and sear them in a hot cast iron or stainless steel pan. You’re looking for good char and caramelisation to bring out deep smoky flavours.

Blend the Base
Roughly chop the roasted peppers and onions, then add them to a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, bird’s-eye chillies, smoked paprika and fresh oregano, sea salt and black pepper. Blitz everything together into a smooth purée.

Cook and Reduce
Transfer the blended mixture into a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook gently for 25-30 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid burning.

Final Blend and Emulsify
Once reduced and thickened, remove from the heat, let the sauce cool slightly and then return it to the blender. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify the sauce and give it a velvety texture.

Adjust and Finish
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking with extra lemon juice, vinegar, salt, or black pepper. For a touch of sweetness, you can add a little sugar, I won’t tell anyone!

Both versions of this sauce are amazing, whether you’re marinating chicken in Fresh Piri-Piri or drizzling over the cooked sauce. Just be wary of the heat and adjust the chilli you use accordingly!

Enjoy dudes! 🤘