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To make
Flatten the chicken thighs out so that they will barbecue evenly and make 3-4 cuts in the skin to allow the flavours to permeate.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together and place in a bowl big enough to take the chicken thighs. Coat well with the marinade, rubbing in well. Cover and leave to marinate for at least an hour in the fridge – the longer the better.
Remove from the fridge about ½ hour before barbecuing.
Cook on the barbecue grill until cooked through with a lovely red-gold skin, basting with the leftover marinade from time to time.
If you're oven roasting, they should take about 35 minutes at 190 deg. C.
Serve with green salad, and quinoa or flatbread for a complete meal.
Spicy Grilled Chicken Thighs
These chicken thighs are perfect for a barbecue because they cook evenly and quickly – none of the worry about being properly cooked that you get with bigger chicken joints. Chicken thighs are a great buy – more flavour and usually less expensive than breast fillets and they take up the flavour of the spices beautifully; I buy boneless thighs with the skin on – the fat in the skin adding moistness and flavour.
The spices I use often depend on my mood – whether I want an Asian flavour, or Middle Eastern, or African. For these I used a rich tomato base with flavours of North Africa with the addition of ras el hanout, a spice blend found in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. You should be able to find it in most big supermarkets.
I'm not going to give instructions for actually barbecuing – everyone has their own methods and I always get my husband to do it anyway.
If you're not barbecuing, these also roast well in the oven.
Ingredients Serves 4
4 large skin-on, boneless chicken thighs
3 tblsps olive oil
1 tblsp tomato puree
1 tblsp sherry or red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 hot chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ras el hanout
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
sea salt and black pepper to taste
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