AS the summer starts to heat up, so do our dishes. The first recipe this week is our piri-piri chicken, a spicy family favourite sure to give a certain popular fast-food chain a run for its money.
This dish requires piri-piri peppers, also known as the African birds-eye chilli, a popular ingredient in African cooking. Be careful not to add too many as these little guys pack a lot of heat.
The second recipe is sweet and sour cannellini beans. These versatile beans are a perfect staple to keep in the fridge and will be delicious with anything from the barbecue.
For more information, or to book an experience at the brand-new Waterman Cookery School, visit www.cookinbelfast.co.uk.
Piri-Piri Chicken
Ingredients (serves 4)
8 chicken thighs, skin on and with bone
4 piri-piri peppers, deseeded
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic
1tbsp paprika
1tbsp parsley, finely chopped
4tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C and cook off the peppers in a roasting tray for 10 minutes.
Once cooked, peel the peppers and cut into chunks.
Place the peppers in a bowl with the garlic, lemon, paprika, parsley and olive oil and blitz with a stick blender until it turns to a fine paste.
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and then coat them with half the paste.
Cover in cling film and place in the fridge to marinade for a few hours.
Preheat your oven to 180C and when ready to cook, take the chicken thighs out of the fridge and place in a roasting tray.
Add the remaining marinade to the chicken, basting it in the sauce.
Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes, until cooked through.
Serve with the sauce from the roasting tin on the side.
Sweet and Sour Cannellini Beans
Ingredients (makes 1 jar)
400g cannellini beans, from a can, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small pepper, deseeded and finely diced
80ml red or white wine vinegar
1tbsp sugar
100ml olive or rapeseed oil
Method:
Firstly, clean and sterilise a large Kilner jar, and lid. I tend to wash in hot water then pop in oven for 10 minutes at 100C.
To cook off the beans, place them in a pot and cover with water. Place the pot on the hob and bring to boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and drain.
In the same pan add in the onion, pepper, oil, sugar and vinegar and bring to a simmer.
When it starts to bubble remove from the heat to prevent the onions from burning.
Leave to cool for a couple of minutes then pour into the Kilner jar.
Place the lid on tight and turn upside down so everything in the jar is coated.
Place in the fridge and the flavour will develop over 5-7 days.
If you have sterilised the jar correctly the beans will keep for up to one month.
