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Peruvian Roasted Chicken With Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken, cut in pieces, cut in half, or butterflied

For chicken

  • 6 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste (hotter than jalapeños, akin to Tabasco or cayenne, in the middle of the Scoville heat spectrum; can substitute with sriracha, sambal, or other chili paste)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon aji panca paste (sweet, hot, and slightly smokey, less hot than aji amarillo; can substitute with pasilla or other chili paste)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • extra virgin olive oil, as needed

For sauce

  • 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
  • 3-4 jalapeños, seeded and diced
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese (1 ounce)
  • 1 clove garlic, 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 paste (or other chili paste)
  • ½ teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Prepare chicken

  • In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, mustard, cumin, pepper, and salt.
  • Add chicken (pieces, halves, or butterflied), turning to coat throughly.
  • Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Cook chicken

  • Heat oven to 450° or prepare grill.
  • Remove chicken from marinade. Pat dry with paper towels. Arrange skin side up on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil.
  • Roast in oven (on baking sheet) or on grill (directly on grate) until cooked, 25 to 45 minutes.
  • Remove from oven or grill, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Prepare sauce (which chicken is cooking or ahead of time)

  • In a blender, blend until smooth cilantro, jalapeños, feta, garlic, lime juice, oregano, salt, mustard, aji amarillo paste, honey, and cumin.
  • With motor running, slowing drizzle in oil until mixture is emulsified.
  • Taste and adjust with salt, lime juice, or both as needed.

Serve

  • Carve chicken, if necessary.
  • Serve with sauce, which can be poured generously over chicken pieces.

Notes

Adapted from Peruvian Roasted Chicken With Spicy Cilantro Sauce, Melissa Clark, NYT Cooking.