One of the best ways to braai a chicken - do it Nandos-style
Serves 4 Preparation time - 30 mins Cooking time - 60 mins
flattie /ˈflati/ noun meaning a chicken or game bird split open and grilled
Ingredients
1 whole free range spatchcock chicken, marinated in lemon & herb*
3 courgettes
500g baby new potatoes
2 lemons
1 bag of salad leaves
1 tsp whole grain mustard
4-5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 cloves of garlic
coarse sea salt
* You can prepare the flattie yourself or buy it ready for braaing. If you like it hot go for Peri-Peri. I'll cover how to spatchcock and marinate a chicken soon. For this recipe I use a delicious flattie prepared and marinated in lemon & herb by a friend of mine.
The Braai things
A Braai to cook on, a Weber helps but not essential
20 charcoal briquettes (the compact kind)
A few small logs of dry wood, also not essential
A foil roasting tray, also not essential
4 firelighters
Method
Light the Braai
You can cook the flattie in two different ways. My preference is to roast it over indirect heat in the Weber. But if you don't have a Weber you can grill it directly over the coals too.
If roasting set up your braai by placing the foil tray to one side of the bottom grill of your Weber. Place the firelighters alongside the foil tray and pack logs and the charcoal briquettes on top of the firelighters. Light the braai.
If grilling just build your fire in the centre of your braai without the foil tray and light up.
Tip: I have a fire pit and will first build a log fire in it and transfer the burning logs to the Weber when it's time to set up the braai as I've described above.
Prep the veg
Wash and halve the baby potatoes and put them in a roasting tray. Add the whole garlic cloves. Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil.
Wash and top and tail the courgettes. Slice them lengthways into ½ cm thick slices. Rub with a little olive oil on both sides of each slice and set aside.
Preheat your indoor oven to 180°C (yes, I sometimes use the one in the kitchen too).
Make the salad dressing
Combine the mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar and juice of one lemon in a mixing jug. Whisk together until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the flattie
Whether roasting or cooking make sure your chicken is cooked before serving. To test, skewer the thigh and make sure that the juice is clear.
It should take 20-25 mins for the coals to turn white. Once this happens your braai is ready for cooking. If roasting the flattie place it on the grill over the foil try (not over the coals). Make sure the bottom vents of the Weber are open. Pop the lid of the Weber on and ensure that the top vents are also open. You've just created a smoky, outdoor oven. Most Webers have a temperature gauge and you want to cook the chicken at 180°C for about an hour. You can control the temperature by adjusting the top and bottom vents. Open up to increase the temperature. Close to decrease it, but don’t fully close them or you’ll kill your fire. While under the lid don’t be tempted to lift it too often. I check on it once or twice, putting the lid back on quickly to make sure I keep the temperature in the Weber where it should be.
If grilling, spread the coals out with your braai tongs and place the chicken on the grill in the centre of your braai over the direct heat. Don’t start if the braai is too hot as you’ll just burn the chicken (you should be able to hold you hand over the coals for 7-8 seconds). While grilling you’ll need to stay with your flattie and turn it fairly regularly but not all the time. I usually have some water at the ready in case the braai flames up. If this happens sprinkle (don’t douse) the flames and continue cooking. It’ll take about 30 mins to grill the chicken well.
Whether roasting or cooking make sure your chicken is cooked before serving. To test, skewer the thigh and make sure that the juice is clear. Once cooked you can leave the chicken to rest for 10 mins. If you roasted it just leave it on the grill with the Weber lid off. If you grilled it remove it from the braai and rest on a chopping board.
Cook the veg
The potatoes will need 40 mins in the oven - place the tray on the centre shelf. If roasting your flattie you’ll need to start cooking the spuds once the chicken has been in the Weber for 30 mins. If grilling pop the potatoes in the oven 5 mins before you start cooking the chicken.
Then while the chicken is resting grill your courgettes on the braai over the coals. You’ll need to given them a couple of minutes on either side until they begin to soften. Once cooked transfer into a serving dish, drizzle with some olive oil and season with some coarse sea salt.
Serve and enjoy
Wash your salad leaves and place in a salad bowl. Dress the salad with the salad dressing you prepared earlier. Carve the rested flattie and dress it with the juice of the remaining lemon. Serve the flattie with the potatoes, courgettes and salad. Enjoy!
Eat. Love. Braai.
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