Peri Peri Wings - The ‘Unforgettable’ Flavor

Peri-Peri’s origin can be traced to Mozambique, it’s rich soil and the warm sunshine primarily contributes to the growth of ‘African Bird’s Eye Chilli’. These fiery hot chilies come in assorted colors. They were made popular by the Portuguese settlers that arrived there in the 15th century.    Quite impressed by it’s flavor, they made a marinade out of it, adding garlic, red wine vinegar, paprika, and other European herbs.

Although the cultural resonance of the spice is attributed to Portugal and Mozambique, it’s extensive use in South African popularized it.

 Some of the best Mozambican chefs after moving to Johannesburg used it extensively, its popularity however was influenced by the large number of Portuguese living in South Africa.

 Measuring the heat units of peri-peri, it registers 175,000 heat units on the Scoville scale, the Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spiciness or "heat") of chili peppers, as recorded in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). It’s not the hottest of chilies though, India’s ‘bhut jolokia’ or ghost pepper measures 1,041,427 SHU.

 Statistics apart, Peri-Peri Chicken Wings are one of the most sought after starters in every restaurant's menu. The chicken wings are baked or grilled in the peri-peri marinade, turning it into a juicy meat, with a nice crispy skin.  

 The voluptuousness of taste has food connoisseurs rave about it, be it a lively party or a BBQ with family and friends, chicken wings are a ‘must have’ starter in a menu, no matter what the occasion.

 In a chat with the chef of a well-known restaurant in Chennai, famed for its chicken wings, here is the recipe of Peri-Peri Chicken that the chef very graciously explained in a nutshell.

 Ingredients

•  chicken wings with tips removed

•  tbsp olive oil

•  tbsp lemon juice

• tbsp smoked paprika

•  tsp chilli sauce 

•  1 tsp chilli flakes

•  4 cloves of garlic

•  1 tbsp oregano

•  1/2 tsp salt

•  1/4 tsp black pepper

 Cooking Instructions

 - For preparing the marinade, the garlic needs to be minced and added to a bowl having olive oil, smoked paprika, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, chilli sauce and flakes.

 -Stir well to turn it into a smooth thick paste

 - Gently pat the wings to dry them, apply the coat of marinade on to them. Use a clingfilm to cover the bowl and allow it to marinate for an hour or two.

 -Take a dripping tray and cover it with kitchen foil to prevent any spill over, place the oven rack over the tray.

 -Place the wings over the rack, and set the preheated oven to 150 degrees Celsius or 300 F for 20 minutes.

 -Turn the wings to the other side, and increase the temperature to 220 degrees Celsius or 425 F

 -Bake it for another 30-35 minutes.

Serve hot with the sauce.

 Try making the Peri-Peri Chicken Wings at home, but if you do not want to get into the hassle of going into your kitchen, you can order it here or through the Zomato app.