Peruvian Chicken

With the news that a Latin restaurant was coming to town, and would offer Peruvian fare, my mind turned to one of my favorite poultry preparations… Peruvian Chicken. Upon hearing this, my better half offered to cook Peruvian Chicken this past weekend. I, of course was delighted at the prospect and offered to make Causa Rellena, my favorite Peruvian side dish.

Peruvian Chicken, from the NY Times:

Ingredients

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. I got ours on Amazon

1 tablespoon lime juice

teaspoon 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 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

½ teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Lime wedges, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

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

Step 2

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

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

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

For the Causa, I took a little detour. This is usually made with tuna salad, or chicken salad. But I wanted mine to be less meat-centric and decided to try egg salad. I took a shortcut and decided to use deli-bought egg salad. It tasted a little boring, so I added onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, and a handful of cilantro.

Ingredients

Potato Layer

2 large russet Potatoes, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of a large lime

1-2 tbsp aji amarillo paste

salt and pepper, to taste, I used poultry seasoning too

Smash well (I used a hand mixer) and put in the fridge to cool a bit and to firm up.

You can use a ramekin to make the form, but I decided to try a large muffin tin. Line it with plastic wrap, press in a layer of potato mix. Spoon on a layer of the egg salad (wedges of avocado could go on here too) and top with the remaining potatoes. Fold over the wrap and place in the fridge. Do this before you put the chicken into the oven. We topped ours with a sprinkle of paprika, and slices of pickled onions and roasted red bell pepper slices.

What a fantastic meal!