Flame-Grilled Braai Peri-Peri Chicken

Method

1. Warm a little of the water and dissolve the salt and sugar completely, then add the rest of the water cold and let it cool fully. Pour it into a 2 L container with the bay leaves, submerge the chicken and refrigerate for 4 h. Do not go past 8 hours or it becomes too salty.

   Add in this stepWater (for the brine) 800 mlCoarse salt (for the brine) 40 gBrown sugar (for the brine) 15 gBay leaves (for the brine) 1Chicken leg quarters (about 300 g each) 2

2. Light 1.5 kg of charcoal and pile it on one side of the grill, so you have a direct zone and an indirect zone. After about 25 min, when the coals are covered in white ash (charcoal (medium heat)), you are ready.

   charcoal (medium heat)

3. Put the red pepper, both kinds of chilli and the garlic (threaded on a skewer or wrapped in foil) over the direct zone and turn them over charcoal (medium heat) for 8 min, until blistered and blackened. Put them in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 5 minutes so the skins slip off.

   Add in this stepRed pepper ½Bird's eye chillies 5Long red chillies 1Garlic cloves 4

   charcoal (medium heat)

4. Peel and deseed the charred red pepper and long chillies, and just pull the stalks off the bird's eye chillies. Blend everything with the smoked paprika, oregano, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, oil and salt until smooth. Divide the sauce between two bowls: one for basting, one for serving. Never put a brush that has touched raw chicken into the serving sauce.

   Add in this stepSmoked paprika 1½ tspDried oregano 1 tspLemon (zest and juice) 1White wine vinegar 1½ tbspExtra virgin olive oil 4 tbspSalt (for the sauce) ½ tsp

5. Take the chicken out of the brine, rinse it and pat it very dry with kitchen paper; dry skin is what gets crisp. Brush with a thin coat of basting sauce, lay it skin side up over the indirect zone, close the lid and cook over charcoal (medium heat) for 30 min.

   charcoal (medium heat)

6. Add the butter to the basting sauce and let it melt at the edge of the grill. Move the chicken over the direct zone and spend 8 min over charcoal (medium heat) basting and turning until the skin is charred in patches. If dripping fat makes flames flare, slide the piece back to the indirect side for a moment. It is ready when the thickest part of the thigh reads 80°C.

   Add in this stepButter 20 g

   charcoal (medium heat)

7. Rest for 5 min, scatter with chopped parsley and serve with the serving sauce.

   Add in this stepFlat-leaf parsley 5 g