Chef Pieter is celebrating his first Father’s Day this weekend and while the darling little Daniel will not be able to take up the family tradition of cooking just yet, Chef Pieter shares a recipe close to his heart to treat your dad with this Sunday.

His grandmother got the recipe from their Portuguese neighbours in Mozambique in 1965 and it has been a family favourite ever since – and according to Pieter: “the best chicken you’ll ever eat!”.

Peri-Peri Chicken on the braai

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, butterflied
• 1 cup Lookout white wine
• ½ cup sunflower oil
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 8 cloves garlic grated
• 1 tsp peri-peri powder
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp paprika
• ½ tsp Salt

Method

Butterfly the chicken by removing the spinal cord.

Remove the tips of the wings to prevent them from burning.

Place the removed bones, giblets and wingtips in a small saucepan with onion, garlic clove, bay leaf and peppercorns, cover with water and bring to the boil. Then reduce to a simmer, creating a fragrant stock. Eventually, add 4 tbsp of the marinade to create your sauce.

For the marinade: Mix the white wine, oil, lemon juice, garlic, spices and salt together. Pour the marinade over the chicken and leave in the refrigerator to marinate for 24  hours.

Remove from the marinade put on the roster and braai for 40 minutes over moderate coals. Baste with the marinade on every turn.

Remove from the fire and season with salt.

The chicken is best served with rice cooked in a tomato and onion mix with bay leaves and chicken stock.

Enjoy with the 2014 Culinaria Chenin Blanc!

Featured image: Chef Pieter de Jager with his wife, Christine and baby boy, Daniel.