Pollo a la Brasa with Aji Verde
Pollo a la Brasa with Aji Verde
Ingredients
For the Pollo a la Brasa Marinade
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 garlic, cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ajinomoto
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup lager beer
- 3 tablespoons aji panca paste, or up to 4 tablespoons
- 1 salt, to taste
For the Chicken
- 1 whole chicken
For the Aji Verde
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 garlic, cloves
- 1 jalapeno peppers, small, with all the seeds
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or up to 3 teaspoons
- 1 salt, to taste
- 1 black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
Instructions
- 1
Make the marinade: Combine fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, ground cumin, ajinomoto, red wine vinegar, lager beer, and aji panca paste in a blender. Blend until smooth. The aji panca paste is a cornerstone chili pepper in Peruvian cuisine, probably a 2 out of 10 in heat, and is flavor over fire, sweet and smoky.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
Prepare the chicken: Spatchcock the chicken by cutting along the backbone to remove it. Pat the chicken dry. Give it a good press to flatten it. Open up the chicken to allow heat to penetrate evenly, especially for the breast. Remove the wishbone from the chicken.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
Marinate the chicken: Generously coat the chicken with the prepared marinade, ensuring it gets into every nook and cranny. Reserve some marinade for later. Place the chicken and marinade into a freezer bag. Marinate overnight in the fridge.
⏱️ 10 min
- 4
Prepare for roasting: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 425
- 5
Season and prepare for oven: Remove the marinated chicken from the bag. Place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Add extra marinade from the reserved amount onto the chicken and season it very well with salt.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Prepare simmering marinade: Pour the leftover marinade from the bag into a small pan to simmer on the stovetop.
⏱️ 5 min
- 7
Initial roast: Roast the chicken in the preheated oven at 425°F for 20 minutes.
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 425
- 8
Baste and rotate: After 20 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven. Baste the chicken with the residual marinade that was simmering in the pan. Rotate the baking tray.
⏱️ 5 min
- 9
Final roast: Roast for another 20 minutes until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through.
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 425
- 10
Final baste and rest: Remove the chicken from the oven. Baste it one final time with the drippings from the oven pan. Rest the chicken before carving.
⏱️ 10 min
- 11
Blend aji verde ingredients: Combine Greek yogurt, garlic, jalapeno peppers (with all the seeds), fresh lime juice, salt, black pepper, fresh cilantro, and fresh mint in a blender. Blend until smooth.
⏱️ 5 min
- 12
Adjust seasoning and chill: Taste the aji verde and adjust seasoning as needed. Chill until serving.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Pollo a la Brasa with Aji Verde
For the Pollo a la Brasa Marinade
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 garlic, cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ajinomoto
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup lager beer
- 3 tablespoons aji panca paste, or up to 4 tablespoons
- 1 salt, to taste
For the Chicken
- 1 whole chicken
For the Aji Verde
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 garlic, cloves
- 1 jalapeno peppers, small, with all the seeds
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or up to 3 teaspoons
- 1 salt, to taste
- 1 black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
Instructions
- 1
Make the marinade: Combine fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, ground cumin, ajinomoto, red wine vinegar, lager beer, and aji panca paste in a blender. Blend until smooth. The aji panca paste is a cornerstone chili pepper in Peruvian cuisine, probably a 2 out of 10 in heat, and is flavor over fire, sweet and smoky.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
Prepare the chicken: Spatchcock the chicken by cutting along the backbone to remove it. Pat the chicken dry. Give it a good press to flatten it. Open up the chicken to allow heat to penetrate evenly, especially for the breast. Remove the wishbone from the chicken.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
Marinate the chicken: Generously coat the chicken with the prepared marinade, ensuring it gets into every nook and cranny. Reserve some marinade for later. Place the chicken and marinade into a freezer bag. Marinate overnight in the fridge.
⏱️ 10 min - 4
Prepare for roasting: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 425 - 5
Season and prepare for oven: Remove the marinated chicken from the bag. Place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Add extra marinade from the reserved amount onto the chicken and season it very well with salt.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Prepare simmering marinade: Pour the leftover marinade from the bag into a small pan to simmer on the stovetop.
⏱️ 5 min - 7
Initial roast: Roast the chicken in the preheated oven at 425°F for 20 minutes.
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 425 - 8
Baste and rotate: After 20 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven. Baste the chicken with the residual marinade that was simmering in the pan. Rotate the baking tray.
⏱️ 5 min - 9
Final roast: Roast for another 20 minutes until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through.
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 425 - 10
Final baste and rest: Remove the chicken from the oven. Baste it one final time with the drippings from the oven pan. Rest the chicken before carving.
⏱️ 10 min - 11
Blend aji verde ingredients: Combine Greek yogurt, garlic, jalapeno peppers (with all the seeds), fresh lime juice, salt, black pepper, fresh cilantro, and fresh mint in a blender. Blend until smooth.
⏱️ 5 min - 12
Adjust seasoning and chill: Taste the aji verde and adjust seasoning as needed. Chill until serving.
⏱️ 5 min