Mini chicken fillets with aji amarillo marmalade

The aji Amarillo is a yellowy orange Peruvian chili, very fruity and quite hot, which is why it is a good idea to prepare the marmalade the day before so that the flavors can mellow and blend. The chicken fillets are steeped in oil and garlic before being grilled really quickly. They are great when served with the marmalade and lightly charred flat bread.

Make the aji Amarillo marmalade. Heat a heavy frying pan, add the dried chilies and roast them by stirring them continuously over the heat for about 1 ½ minutes without letting they scorch. Put them in a bowl with just enough almost boiling water to cover. Use a saucer to keep them submerged and leave to rehydrate for about 2 hours, or longer if you prefer.

Slit the chilies, remove the seeds and chop the flesh into small dice. Place in a food processor, add the water and process to a puree. Heat the oil in a heavy pan, add the onions and garlic and cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes. Add the cumin, Mexican oregano and the chili puree. Add the sugar and stir until turning syrupy, then add the vinegar and stir well. Bring the mixture to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a griddle until a few drops of water sprinkled on the surface evaporate instantly. Roast the peppers, placed with skin-side down so that the skins char. Put the peppers into a bowl and cover tightly with clear film (plastic wrap). When they are cool enough to handle, rub off the skin and finely dice the flesh. Add to the chili mixture and continue to simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the marmalade thickens. Transfer to a bowl. When cool, cover and chill until 30 minutes before serving.

Spread out the chicken pieces in a shallow dish and add the garlic, oil and pepper. Turn the fillets in the mixture, cover and set aside in a cool place for 30-45 minutes, turning occasionally.

Prepare the barbecue. Once the flames have died down, position a lightly oiled grill rack over the coals to heat. When the coals are medium-hot, and with a moderate covering of ash, grill the chicken pieces for 2/½ -3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and branded with grill marks. Move the food while cooking to avoid over-charring. Transfer to a platter, cover and leave in a warm place for 5 minutes before serving with the marmalade.

Serves 4
500g/ 1 ¼ lb mini chicken breast fillets or skinless chicken breast fillets, each cut into 4 long strips
2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with 2.5ml/ ½ tsp salt
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
Ground black pepper
For the aji Amarillo marmalade
50g/2oz dried aji Amarillo chilies
120ml/4fl oz/ ½ cup water
20ml/4 tsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
5ml/1 tsp ground cumin
10ml/2 tsp Mexican oregano
130g/ 4 ½ oz/scant ¾ cup sugar
200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup cider or white wine vinegar
2 small orange (bell) peppers, quartered and seeded