Grilled Chicken with Sweet Hot Chili Relish

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Native
na•tiv /náytiv/
Native means born or produced in a specific region or country, but it can also apply to persons or things that were introduced from elsewhere some time ago...
Excerpt from The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus
By Elizabeth Jewell

On a long visit to New Zealand we discovered that Thai flavors seem to creep into much of their food. This recipe was inspired by the many sweet-hot-chili relishes we savored while in Kiwiland.

This relish is incredibly simple to make though it does take some time. It can be made a day or two ahead of time and keeps well for up to a week in the refigerator. Pair it with coconut rice and sauteed greens for a complete meal. It can also be used to top bacon and egg or cheese and onion sandwiches or on grilled shrimp.

Relish:
6 medium tomatoes, peeled [see below] and diced in medium pieces
1 medium onion, diced in small pieces
1-2 hot red chilis, sliced thinly into rings
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
12 whole allspice berries

[Cut a small ‘x’ on the bottom side of the tomatoes and place in boiling water for 20 seconds. The skin will then slip off easily. See photo.]

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Stir and bring to a boil (it will become very liquidy). Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 3 to 4 hours or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove allspice before using.

For the rest of the meal:
1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces, or any combination of 8 pieces you like
oil for grill

After washing and drying the chicken rub it with 1/2 the relish. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 15 minutes before you are ready to grill remove chicken from refrigerator. Oil the grill and heat grates well. Cool chicken on a low flame since the sugar in the relish will make it more likely to catch on fire. Grill for approximately 30 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of °165 F / °74 C. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Coconut Rice recipe is available here