Piripiri

What curries are to foods of Asian origin, piripiri is to the cuisine of Mozambique. Originally the name of a small, red capsicum pepper, piripiri today can refer to any of the various hot, spicy dishes made with the fresh pepper itself or with the dried, ground powder it produces.

Ingredients

 * 4 red peppers, crushed or 2 heaping tsp cayenne pepper
 * ¼ tsp salt
 * juice of 2 medium-size lemons
 * 2 cloves garlic, crushed
 * 6 sprigs parsley, chopped
 * 1 cup butter or oil

Directions

 * 1) For a marinade, combine all the ingredients except butter in a bowl with meat or seafood.
 * 2) Stir to coat each piece well.
 * 3) If you’ll be cooking within a couple of hours, let the mixture sit at room temperature; otherwise, cover and refrigerate.
 * 4) Marinating overnight allows all the flavors to blend nicely.
 * 5) To make a sauce for basting, combine everything, including the butter.
 * 6) If you have made a marinade, you can use the liquid left in the bowl after the pieces of meat are removed, but it may be necessary to add a bit more of each ingredient in roughly the same proportions as before.
 * 7) To make a table sauce for the cooked meat, prepare a fresh mixture of all the ingredients and heat it gently for five minutes before serving.
 * 8) As a variation for basting chicken, substitute 1 cup of coconut milk for the lemon juice.