Chef's Corner: A great summer meal

Piri Piri comes from the Algarve, a large coastal region of Portugal overlooking the vast waters of the Atlantic. It is characterized by rolling hills and valleys, dotted with olive, carob, almond, fig and orange trees.

The Portuguese seafaring ancestors were the first to bring ingredients such as pepper, coriander, ginger, curry, saffron and paprika to Europe, not to mention tea, rice, coffee, peanuts, tomatoes and potatoes.

The Algarve's tribute to former Portuguese colony Mozambique is Frango Piri Piri, which is a spiced-up version of barbecued chicken. The chicken is basted in a highly-addictive spicy chili oil, left to marinate, and then grilled to perfection over charcoal.

(This marinade is also very good on tiger shrimp that are best split and put on the barbecue in their shells.)

Piri Piri is good served with a fresh salad, bread and a fresh white wine. (In Portugal the wine would most likely be a Vinho Verde, a slightly sparkling white wine.)

I came across an Emeril Lagasse recipe for Jicama Orange Salad that goes really well with Piri Piri.

Follow the meal with chocolate mousse -- it's a favorite for chocaholics of all ages. It is good whenever you can get good chocolate. When I ran my restaurant in Brussels, this was always our most popular dessert.

It has been said that the finest chocolate mousses are made by people for whom chocolate is their first love. If you are such a person, it should go without saying that you cannot make a good chocolate mousse out of anything but the finest, plain chocolate.

Piri Piri - A Portuguese Marinade for Barbecue Chicken or Fish

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups olive oil

4 fresh jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped

2 fresh poblano peppers, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon salt

8 turns freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 lemon cut into quarters

4 portions of chicken, shrimp or firm, white fish (you could also use pork)

Instructions:

1. Combine the ingredients through the black pepper in a saucepan and cook over a high heat. Cook, stirring, for four minutes, then add garlic, remove from the heat, and allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. When the mixture is cool, pour it into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 16 times. Pour the sauce through a funnel into a clean bowl or jar, cover and leave it to sit for seven days before using for best results. Keeps up to two months at room temperature. It makes about three cups.
3. When you're ready to cook, marinate the meat or fish for at least two hours, then place it in a hot skillet or on the grill for about 20 minutes, depending upon the size of the individual pieces. Baste with the oil while cooking. Serve it with the lemon wedges, a simple salad and bread.

Jicama Orange Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups diced, peeled jicama

3 peeled, seedless oranges cut into sections

2 tablespoons orange juice

¼ cup finely chopped red onions

3 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon salt

ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. Toss and refrigerate until served (overnight, if desired). Those who don't eat chili, can make an instant marinade with two tablespoons paprika, and add lemon juice prior to cooking.

Chocolate Mousse

(serves 4)

Mousse Ingredients:

7 ounces best-quality plain chocolate (with the highest quality of cocoa butter you can find)

3 eggs separated

2 ounces powdered sugar

½ pint double cream, softly whipped

Topping Ingredients:

¼ pint whipping cream

3 ounces plain chocolate, flaked

1. Break the chocolate into a bowl and melt it by standing it over a saucepan of simmering water. It is important not to allow any moisture or steam into the chocolate or it may have a tendency to thicken.
2. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl.
3. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and stir in the egg yolks.
4. Whisk the egg whites with the sugar until soft peaks form. (Adding a pinch of salt at the beginning of this step will help stabilize the mixture.)
5. Put one third of the egg whites into the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
6. Slowly fold the rest of the egg whites into the chocolate using a plastic spatula, retaining as much air as possible.
7. Add the whipped cream and fold in evenly.
8. Turn the mousse in four goblets or one large bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours.
9. Just before serving, top it with whipped cream and flaked chocolate.

Note: You can also macerate some quartered strawberries or other soft fruits in a fruit-flavored liqueur, divide between four glasses and top with mousse mixture as above. To decorate, melt a little chocolate, add a knob of butter, mix gently, and then dip four or more strawberries partially into chocolate. Leave to cool and set on a grease proof baking sheet.