Homemade Nando's & Chunky Chips

Whether you like it or not, you have probably been to or heard of Nando's. Who'd have thought a Portuguese chicken restaurant could have become that popular, that quickly?! If I was Mr Nando I'd be laughing (probably while covering myself in money). As much as I love going there for a quick chicken fix, it is quite pricey for those on a budget and really, it is only marinated chicken and chips.

So, this is my recipe for homemade Nando's and chunky chips, which is a fraction of the price and considerably more healthy.

To make enough for two you'll need:

For the chicken;
4 chicken drumsticks
Nando's peri peri chip sprinkle
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary

For the chips;
2 baking potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary

First, preheat your oven to about 200c. Give your potatoes a quick rinse in case they're carrying a bit of extra dirt. Chop them into chunky pieces, then chop those down into chip sized bits. Unfortunately I haven't got a picture of that process as I rushed into it before remembering I needed to take a picture!

Line them all up on a non-stick baking tray (if you don't have a non-stick one, line it with some baking parchment or tin foil), making sure they are nicely spread out and not on top of each other.

Drizzle enough olive oil to cover them, that's all you need. Don't be scared of olive oil, it's really good for you (in small amounts) and will make your hair shiny and your skin lovely, or so they say. I also think its good for the soul, but maybe that's just me.

Cover them in freshly ground pepper, big flakey chunks of sea salt and a sprig or two of rosemary, taken off the stalk. If you don't have rosemary don't worry, I bought some because it was super cheap in Aldi but to be honest, it didn't make the chips taste any different... it just made the kitchen smell a bit rosemary-ish. Give the chips a quick toss to make sure they're all covered in a bit of everything.

Now time to get tart up the chicken. Cover a clean chopping board in your seasoning, the salt and the pepper. I used the Nando's peri peri chip sprinkle and the Jamaican jerk seasoning because my flat mate happened to have them in the cupboard. Any kind of jerk seasoning will be lovely and its quite easy to buy in most supermarkets.

Get your drumsticks and roll them around a bit in your little pile of seasoning, using your hands to massage it into the skin (obviously, you must have clean hands!). Lay them in another baking tray when you're all done and if you have some rosemary lay that on top.

Cover the tray in a bit of foil (not too tightly) to make sure the chicken stays extra juicy.

Pop them both in the oven. It'll take about 45-50 minutes altogether, but after 30 minutes take out the chips and flip them over. After another 15 minutes check them out and maybe turn them again. After 45 minutes, I took out the chicken and checked on it. The chips weren't crispy enough yet so I turned the heat up to 220c, took the foil off the chicken and put them both back in for another 5-10 minutes so the skins on everything crisped up. I know that is a very vague time allowance, you've just got to be the judge of how crispy you want everything.

Chuck it on a plate and load a bit spoonful of your favourite sauce to dip your chips in. Spanish music like they play in Nando's isn't compulsory, but it will make it more fun. Enjoy!