Mozambican · main

Frango a Zambeziana

Frango a Zambeziana reads sourness 6.6, citrus 6.5 and richness 6.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mozambican main, about 5 hr 8 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sourness 6.6 · Citrus 6.5 · Richness 6.1 · Umami 4.5 · Salinity 4.4 · Allium 4.1 · Heat 4.0 · Sweetness 3.1 · Nutty 3.0 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Fruity 1.8 · Floral 1.4 · Bitterness 1.4 · Herbaceous 1.0 · Earthy 0.8 · Smoke 0.7

What's in it (13)

• chicken — 1600 g
• garlic — 24 g
• lime juice — 60 g
• salt — 10 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 5 g
• coconut milk — 368 g
• piri-piri — 600 g
• butter — 60 g
• sunflower oil — 28 g
• onion — 110 g
• sweet paprika — 5 g
• tomato paste — 15 g
• lime — 65 g

Time & effort: about 5 hr 8 min (1 hr 6 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 121.8 kcal, 9.9 g protein, 8.7 g fat, 1.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Slash the chicken to the bone at the thighs, rub it all over with the crushed garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper, and refrigerate 4 hours.
2. Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the onion 6 minutes over medium heat until soft.
3. Add the chopped piri-piri, paprika and tomato paste and fry 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and reduce 12 minutes over medium heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil hard or it will split.
5. Grill the chicken skin-side up over medium coals for 35 to 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until the juices at the thigh run clear.
6. Whisk the butter into the warm coconut sauce and baste the chicken heavily with it over the last 10 minutes on the fire, letting each coat set before the next.
7. Serve with the remaining sauce and lime wedges.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pudding and Souse — Barbadian
• Carne Asada — Mexican
• Ayam Rica-Rica (Manado Chilli Chicken) — Indonesian
• Masgouf (Split Carp Grilled Upright by an Open Fire) — Iraqi
• Vegetarian Coconut Curry with Chickpeas and Spinach — Indian

Keep reading: what sourness, citrus, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.