Peruvian Roasted Chicken With Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Peruvian Roasted Chicken With Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Burnished-skinned, deeply flavored and more than just a little spicy, it’s no wonder that Peruvian chicken has become something of an obsession here in the United States. There are dozens of way to make this dish, but most recipes call for two different kinds of Peruvian chile pastes — aji amarillo and aji panca — to add the necessary complexity and heat. You can find them at South American markets and online. But in a pinch, you can substitute a red chile paste (like sriracha or sambal) for the aji amarillo, and ground pasilla chile powder for the aji panca. The flavors won’t be traditional, but the chicken will still be tasty — especially when slathered with the irresistibly creamy, spicy cilantro sauce that goes alongside.

Yield: 4 servings

For the Chicken

6 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste or another chile paste such as sriracha or sambal

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon aji panca paste or 1 teaspoon pasilla chile powder

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 (3½- to 4½-pound) chicken, halved (see Note) or 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

For the Sauce

1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems

3 to 4 jalapeños, seeded and diced

¼ cup/1 ounce crumbled feta cheese

1 garlic clove, chopped

1½ tablespoons lime juice, more to taste

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or basil

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ tablespoon aji amarillo or other chile paste (see headnote)

½ teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Lime wedges, for garnish

For the marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, lime juice, aji panca paste, mustard, cumin, pepper and salt.

Add chicken halves, turning to coat them all over with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil.

Roast until skin is golden and chicken is cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes (if using chicken parts, remove the breasts after 25 to 35 minutes). Remove from oven and let sit, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before serving.

While chicken is roasting, make the sauce. In a blender, blend cilantro, jalapeños, feta, garlic, lime juice, oregano, salt, mustard, aji amarillo paste, honey, and cumin until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until mixture is emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt or lime juice or both.

Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce and lime wedges on the side.

Tip

To cut a chicken in half, use a sturdy pair of poultry shears to cut lengthwise through the breastbone. Turn over and cut again, along the backbone. If desired, cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it.

If you measure oil in the half teaspoon first, then the honey, the honey will slide right out of the teaspoon.

I made this for four chickens for a pot luck tonight. I separated each into breast/thigh/drum/wing before marinating cooking. Wasn't too fastidious either about patting off the marinade and also had a few less jalapenos than called for and subbed dry basil for fresh. Results were spectacular. Absolutely spectacular. And did I mention spectacular?

Used sriracha and chilli powder to replace the aji Amarion paste and aji panca paste. Other than that, followed the recipe as it is. The chicken tasted fantastic, Very moist and well seasoned. Made the sauce Saturday night and thought it tasted mediocre. Sunday night took the sauce out, a miracle must have occurred overnight, it tasted brilliant- super creamy and full of flavor. But will cut the ingredients in half to make the sauce. The recipe yields about 4 cups sauce, too much for a 3.5 bird