Upside-down peri-peri chicken potjie
We all love to impress with a new type of recipe sometimes. This one does all of that. Enough to get the attention of your guests! The Spur peri-peri sauce makes the difference. The method is different from the traditional potjies, where the heat here gets distributed by coals from the top, cooking the chicken nice and crisp. Worth a try for the next braai!
Because it is upside-down, start using the softest vegetables at the bottom. Such as onions, tomatoes and end with harder vegetables, such as potatoes to the top. It cooks completely closed the entire time and I find that the chicken also gives moistness, almost makes its own liquid, if this makes sense. Therefore, do not add too much stock.
Serves 4 – 6
1 (about 1.2 kg) whole chicken
30 ml (2 Tbsp) olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
125 g baby marrows or patty pans, sliced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into slices
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into slices
125 g butternut, cut into chunks
about 60 ml (¼ cup) chicken stock
125 ml (½ cup) Spur Peri-Peri Sauce
30 ml (2 Tbsp) chopped fresh rosemary or 10 ml (2 tsp) dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Spatchcock the chicken. Char-grill the chicken on the inside by placing over the flames for 5 – 8 minutes, until starting to brown.
2. Place a flat base medium cast-iron pot over moderate coals. Heat oil and sauté onions and garlic until soft.
3. Start adding vegetables from the softest to hardest. Add baby marrows, sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut. Mix stock, Spur Peri-Peri Sauce, rosemary and seasoning and pour over chicken.
4. Remove pot from coals and place on a flat surface.
5. Top vegetables with chicken, skin-side towards lid. Cover with lid. Stack moderate coals on top, covering lid completely. Leave pot for 1¼ hours. Add more coals if needed. Remove all burnt-out coals from lid before opening and serving.
Tip
To spatchcock a chicken
Use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut the chicken along the centre back, from neck to tail.
Variation
The vegetables can be substituted with any other of you choice.