PERUVIAN GRILLED CHICKEN WITH POTATO SALAD AND AJI VERDE

Today for lunch I made ''Pollo a la Brasa'', grilled chicken. If you look at it, it's just a grilled chicken. But the marinade and the sauce served with it is what makes it different than the other grilled chicken. Now the sauce Aji Verde, the green sauce is not the original aji sauce. I have substituted Amarillo and Huacatay (a type of hot pepper and mint in Peru) with coriander and jalapeno peppers. It tastes good. The traditional sauce is called " Aji de Polleria''. 

I was pretty much happy with the look and the taste of it. I can recommend this recipe for BBQing also. I made it in the oven. To have the smokiness, one can use the old Indian method of keeping a lit charcoal in a bowl and pouring a tsp oof ghee and cover the chicken with foil pepper. ( I didn't do it)

Serves 4-6 

Time: 45 - 60 minutes

For the grilled chicken ''Pollo a la Brasa''

4 tbs cumin powder

3 tbs garlic powder

3 tbs Hungarian paprika

1 tsp salt

2 - 3 tsp black pepper powder

3 tbs red wine vinegar

3 tbs white wine vinegar

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

2 tbs lemon juice

1 whole chicken ( mine was about 1.3 kg)

For the potato salad

4-6 boiled potatoes cut in quarters 

1/2 cup thick yoghurt

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp turmeric

4 tbs milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 minced fresh garlic

4 eggs hard boiled ( optional )

For the aji Verde

2 cups chopped coriander

3 cloves garlic

2 tbs jalapeno slices or more 

Salt and pepper

1/4 olive oil, to start the base of the sauce ( you can use 3-4 tbs of mayonnaise instead )

Method

First switch the oven on and heat it to 200'-220' C. Then prepare the marination of the chicken by mixing all the ingredients, leaving the butter and the whole chicken in a bowl.

 

Now rub the marinade all over the chicken liberally, each and every part of it. Rub it inside the cavity also and let it sit for about 10 minutes. ( reserve a bit and mix in the butter. You will use this to baste  the chicken)

 

Arrange the chicken on the grill to put in the oven. Roast on high at 220;C for 10 minutes till the crust is formed and then reduce the temperature to 180'c. keep o basting the reserved marinade and butter on the chicken and cook further for 20-25 minutes till juices run clear when poked in the thigh or breast.

In the meantime, prepare the potato salad and the aji Verde. To make the salad, mix the dressing ingredients and toss the boiled potatoes into it. Tip the salad in another serving bowl and decorate it quartered boiled eggs if using and drizzle some of the dressing on it. To make the Verde, blend the olive oil and garlic first to make a creamy texture then add the rest or if you want to skip this, then leave the oil and use the mayonnaise and the rest of the ingredients together and blend.

By the time you are done with the salad and  Verde, chicken is also cooked. Remove and let it rest for five minutes. slice it and pour all the pan juices over it and serve with the potato salad aji Verde.

TIP: To keep the whole chicken moist and quicken the cooking time, I always add 1/2 cup of water in the bottom dish of the grill. Don't worry at the end of the roasting yo will not see any water, it evaporates. All you are left is with the fat and juices from the chicken.