Let's be honest: nothing on this site needs explaining to you. You already know the menu, you know your spice level, and you have strong opinions about whether garlic bread counts as a side. But even the most loyal fan has nights when the sofa wins, the nearest restaurant is a drive away, or you are feeding four people and the bill is giving you second thoughts.

Good news: a proper peri-peri night at home is easier than you think, and you probably own half the kit already. Here is how to do it justice.

What actually makes peri-peri taste like peri-peri

The magic is the African bird's eye chilli, the small, fiery pepper that gives the sauce its name and its kick. Around it sit a handful of supporting players that do most of the flavour work: smoked paprika for depth and colour, garlic, dried oregano, a little cayenne, lemon juice and red wine vinegar for that sharp edge, plus oil and salt to carry it all.

None of these are exotic. The trick is using them fresh and being generous, because a marinade made from a tired three-year-old jar of paprika is why most homemade versions fall flat.

Your shopping list

For a peri-peri night for four, you will want:

•         Chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on, about 1.5kg (or a whole bird if you fancy spatchcocking)

•         Smoked paprika, dried oregano, cayenne and crushed chillies or bird's eye chillies

•         Garlic, lemons, red wine vinegar and olive oil

•         Rice, corn on the cob and potatoes for the sides

For the spices, it is worth buying proper dried herbs and spices in bigger resealable bags rather than the tiny supermarket jars. UK online wholefood shops sell them by the 100g or more for not much more than a jar costs, they turn over stock faster so the spices are livelier, and one order sorts your peri-peri habit for months.

The marinade

Blitz or finely chop four cloves of garlic, then mix with two tablespoons of smoked paprika, a tablespoon of oregano, a teaspoon of cayenne, chillies to your bravery level, the juice of two lemons, two tablespoons of vinegar, a good glug of olive oil and a proper pinch of salt.

Slash the chicken skin, get the marinade right into the cuts, and leave it overnight in the fridge. This is the step you cannot rush. An hour is fine, overnight is the real thing.

Cook it hot: a ripping oven at 220°C for around 35 to 40 minutes, or better still, start it in the oven and finish it on a screaming griddle or barbecue for the char. Baste with the leftover marinade as it cooks, boiled for a couple of minutes first so it is safe as a sauce.

Do not skimp on the sides

Spicy rice is non-negotiable. Fry a chopped onion with a teaspoon of paprika and a pinch of cayenne, stir in long grain or basmati rice, add stock and simmer until fluffy. Corn gets boiled then finished in a dry hot pan with butter and salt. Potatoes go in wedges with the same spice mix as the chicken, because consistency is a virtue.

If you want the creamy coleslaw too, shredded cabbage and carrot with mayo, a spoon of yoghurt and a splash of the marinade gets you remarkably close.

Feeding a veggie? The same marinade is outrageous on halloumi or roasted cauliflower, so nobody at the table misses out.

The damage

A peri-peri feast for four out of the house, with sides and drinks, does not leave much change from £60 to £70 these days. The home version above, even buying the chicken well, comes in around £15 to £18 all in, and the spice bags will still be mostly full for next time.

That is not a reason to stop going out for it. It is a reason to have both: the restaurant when you want the occasion, and a home peri-peri night when you want the flavour, the sofa and no queue for a table. Marinade tonight, feast tomorrow.