Peruvian-Style Whole Grilled Chicken
This dish is called Pollo a la Brasa, the delicious spit-roasted chicken made popular by so many Peruvian restaurants.
from THE FOOD LAB Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science, J. KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT:
"When it comes to Peruvian roast chicken—I'm talking the kind served at places like the Pio Pio mini chain—it's all about that green sauce, right? I mean, sure, the tender chicken, kissed with the smoke of a live fire and a hint of spices and garlic, is pretty damn good on its own, but it's that green sauce—spicy, tangy, and cooling—that keeps us coming back for more, right?
Luckily, the sauce is not too difficult to make: a tangy mayonnaise base, pepped up with a squeeze of lime juice and lemon, along with the heat of fresh jalapeños and a big handful of cilantro. The key is to season it pretty heavily. When made right, it will have a powerful but balanced combination of salty, acidic, spicy, and creamy elements. It's great on grilled chicken, awesome as a salad dressing, perfect for dipping fries into, a nice accompaniment to grilled corn, and excellent drizzled over grilled chicken hash the morning after.
The best Peruvian roast chicken restaurants cook their chickens on rotisseries, slowly rotating in front of a live flame, fat rendering out from the skin and dripping around and through the meat, distributing flavor and ensuring that the chickens cook evenly.
The key is the right marinade. Cumin, paprika, and garlic (freshly minced, please!) are all typical ingredients, as is vinegar. I like to add plenty of salt and black pepper and a couple of tablespoons of oil to make a paste that I can rub all over the chicken."
Also see The Famous Peruvian Roast Chicken for some background information on the dish.
The Food Lab: Peruvian-Style Whole Grilled Chicken
THE FOOD LAB Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science,
J. KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT
For the Sauce:
3 whole jalapeño chilies, roughly chopped (see note)
1 tablespoon (15ml) ají amarillo pepper paste (see note)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (1 ounce; 28g)
2 medium cloves garlic
1/2 cup (120ml) mayonnaise
1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream
2 teaspoons (10ml) fresh juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon (5ml) distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Chicken:
1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds (1.6 to 1.8kg)
4 teaspoons (20g) kosher salt
2 tablespoons (30g) ground cumin
2 tablespoons (30g) paprika
1 teaspoon (5g) freshly ground black pepper
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons (30ml) white vinegar
2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable or canola oil
For the Sauce: Combine jalapeños, ají amarillo (if using), cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and vinegar in the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed, scraping down as necessary, until smooth. With blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauce will be quite loose at this point, but will thicken as it sits. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on a large cutting board, breast side down. Using sharp kitchen shears, remove backbone by cutting along either side of it. Turn chicken over and lay out flat. Press firmly on breast to flatten chicken. For added stability, run a metal or wooden skewer horizontally through chicken, entering through one thigh, going through both breast halves, and exiting through other thigh. Tuck wing tips behind back.
Combine salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil in a small bowl and massage with fingertips until homogeneous. Spread mixture evenly over all surfaces of chicken.
Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.
Place chicken, skin side up, on cooler side of grill, with legs facing toward hotter side. Cover grill, with vents on lid open and aligned over chicken. Open bottom vents of grill. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 110°F (43°C). Carefully flip chicken and place, skin side down, on hotter side of grill, with breasts pointed toward cooler side. Press down firmly with a wide, stiff spatula to ensure good contact between bird and grill grates. Cover and cook until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 145 to 150°F (63 to 66°C), about 10 minutes longer. If chicken threatens to burn before temperature is achieved, carefully slide to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until done. Do not leave the lid off for longer than it takes to check temperature, or chicken will burn.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Carve and serve with sauce.
Notes: For a less spicy sauce, remove the ribs and seeds of the jalapeños before puréeing. Ají amarillo is a Peruvian yellow pepper paste that can be found in most Latin markets. It can be omitted.
Peruvian-Style Spit-Roasted Chicken with Green Sauce
Recipe by Nancy Loseke, http://barbecuebible.com/
To be strictly authentic, you need to acquaint yourself with two ingredients that are common in Peruvian cooking—ají amarillo paste and huacatay (black mint) paste. Both are available at Latin American markets and online. Leave them out if you must. Traditional sides include thick-cut potato or yucca fries and a green salad. But small Peruvian purple potatoes roasted alongside the chicken (dress them with olive oil and salt and pepper before roasting) are also a good complement to the smoky chicken.
For the chicken and brine:
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), preferably organic
2 quarts cold water
1/2 cup kosher salt
For the wet rub:
3 to 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablepoon ají amarillo paste
2 teaspoons huacatay paste
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
Green Sauce, for serving (see recipe below)
Equipment: Butcher’s string; 2 cups wood smoking chips, preferably a blend of apple and mesquite, soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Step 1: Remove and discard the fat just inside the neck and body cavities of the chicken as well as the giblets (set aside for another use).
Step 2: In a large deep mixing bowl or stockpot, stir the salt and water until the salt is dissolved. Submerge the chicken in the brine. (Alternatively, use a large resealable plastic bag.) Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
Step 3: Make the wet rub: Place the garlic and salt in a mortar, and using a pestle, pound until a paste forms. (Or use a small food processor.) Work in the paprika, cumin, pepper, ají amarillo paste, huacatay paste, lime juice, and olive oil.
Step 4: Drain the chicken, rinse under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Coat the chicken all over with the wet rub, using your fingers to work some of the rub under the skin of the thighs and breasts. (I like to wear food-safe gloves.) Fold the wing tips behind the back and tie the legs together with butcher’s string.
Step 5: Rotisserie method: Set up the grill for spit-roasting following the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat to medium-high. When ready to cook, thread the chicken onto the rotisserie spit. Attach the spit to the grill and turn on the motor. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in a smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium-high. If using a charcoal grill, toss half the wood chips directly on the coals. Replenish the coals and chips as needed.
Indirect method: Set up the grill for indirect grilling, place a drip pan in the center, and preheat the grill to medium-high. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the chicken in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat and cover the grill.
Step 6: Grill the bird until the skin is golden brown and crisp and the meat is cooked through, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness; the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh should be 165 degrees F. Carefully remove the bird from the spit and let rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Serve with Green Sauce.
Yield: Serves 2 to 4
Green Sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts coarsely chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste
2 teaspoons huacatay paste, or 4 fresh mint leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Step 1: In a blender jar or the bowl of a food processor, combine all the sauce ingredients and process until smooth.
Step 2: Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. The sauce should be very flavorful. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately. Best when freshly made.
Yield: Makes 1 1/2 cups
