Spicy Rice & Chips-style peri-peri feast

Ingredients

Pilau rice

• 400 g basmati rice
• 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
• 4 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 600 ml hot chicken stock
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt

Peri-peri chicken

• 4 chicken thigh fillets, boneless
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp peri-peri sauce

Peri-peri chips

• 800 g Maris Piper potatoes
• 1 tbsp peri-peri seasoning
• Oil for frying

Method

1. Rice. Bloom whole spices in ghee. Add onion, garlic, ginger. Add rice, stock, turmeric, salt. Cover, simmer 12 minutes, rest 10.
2. Chicken. Toss thighs with olive oil, paprika, garlic, salt. Grill or pan-fry 5–6 minutes per side until charred. Brush with peri-peri sauce in the last minute. Slice.
3. Chips. Cut potatoes into thick batons. Soak 30 mins. Fry at 160°C for 4 mins, then 180°C for 3–4 mins. Toss with peri-peri seasoning.
4. Assemble. Plate the rice, sliced chicken, and chips. Serve with extra peri-peri sauce.

Tips

• Pilau rice from scratch is better than microwave. Whole spices + basmati + butter.
• Double the chicken pieces. One is never enough.
• Peri-peri seasoning on the chips is the difference. Don’t skip it.