Pollo a la brasa (that’s grilled chicken) is a very popular Peruvian dish that’s made its way over to America but unfortunately, not here. I’ve read blog post after blog post about how that rotisserie chicken is freaking delicious and cheap and comes with a multitude of amazing sides and of course, the craving set in. It does seem ridiculous that I’d crave something I’d never tasted before but it’s roast chicken! There’s something quite universal about it, isn’t there?
I set out to make it at home. There are quite a few recipes for the marinade online and I based mine on a few that I found. I wanted to use fresh garlic rather than garlic powder and one recipe that used it suggested putting it under the skin of the chicken rather than mixing it with the marinade as the acid was likely to turn the garlic blue. Some suggested that the acid be lemon juice; others said vinegar. I just put together what sounded good.
Oh, and it was good! That marinade went right through the skin and the garlic definitely made itself known. Apart from the garlic, the other flavours melded together in a way that you couldn’t put a finger on each individual component; yes, the sum was greater than its parts. Finger licking good. Sure, it may have been more amazing if charcoal grilled but hey, I think my oven did a pretty good job of it.
We had it with a few sides; it’s never a proper roast dinner without all the fixin’s, eh? From what I understand, French fries/chips are normally served with pollo a la brasa but I wanted to go all out. We had fried plantains (slice and shallow fry in sunflower oil; sprinkle with salt), garlic rice (same as I make for Cuban rice), black beans (Molly’s recipe is my go-to recipe for quick beans), a chopped avocado and tomato salad, and a fresh green chilli sauce to brighten everything up. That rice was insanely good with the juices from the roast chicken poured on top. It all makes for a nice change from the usual roast potatoes and boiled veg.
The chicken recipe was adapted from those at Leite’s Culinaria, Wandering Chopsticks and Sunday Nite Dinner. The green chilli sauce was adapted from a recipe at Peru Food.
Peruvian Roast Chicken
1 chicken, approximately 1.5kg
For the marinade:
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsps paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Trim your chicken of any extra fat. Pat dry both inside and out. Use your finger to carefully separate the skin from the breast and thighs, creating “pockets”. Crush or mash the garlic cloves and distribute evenly between the “pockets”, spreading and smoothing the garlic from the outside.
Mix together the rest of the marinade ingredients and schmear it all on the inside and outside of your chicken. Leave in the fridge to marinade for a few hours or overnight. Take it out half an hour before you want to roast it.
Preheat the oven to 220C. Place your chicken breast side down on a roasting tray and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. When the time is up, turn your oven temperature down to 160C and flip your chicken so it’s now breast side up. Continue roasting for an hour or until the juices at the thigh run clear (or you can check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer).
Let your chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Green Chilli Sauce
a small bunch of coriander
1-2 green chillies
1/2 clove garlic
a pinch of salt
extra virgin olive oil
Wash your coriander and pick off the leaves. Discard the stems or use them elsewhere. Deseed the chillli if you wish (it makes it less hot). Toss the leaves, chillli, garlic and salt into a mini chopper or little blender or whatever it is you use and add about 2 tbsps olive oil. Blend, adding more olive oil if required.
Tue, 8 Feb, 2011 at 19:39
Looks a very tasty twist on a British classic roast chicken.
Tue, 8 Feb, 2011 at 20:18
Inspirational! I need to try cooking up some Latin American fare… When I was in Peru a couple years ago everyone seemed to be eating guinea pig, but I’m not quite sure if I’m ready for that – your chicken seems a much better option!
Tue, 8 Feb, 2011 at 22:31
This certainly caught my eye and very tasty it looks too! My mum is from Peru so whilst going up I was spoiled with South American twists on many foods. One of my favourites was the marinated chicken legs which were made in a similar way to this. We would normally have them cold with salad for dinner or they would be packed in a picnic bag for a trip to the countryside. So yummy though. I’m going to ask mum for the recipe so I can recreate the magic. Of course, it will go on the blog too so look out for it 🙂
Wed, 9 Feb, 2011 at 00:40
it all looks sooo good!
Wed, 9 Feb, 2011 at 09:55
You could give Nando’s a run for your money with this!
Wed, 9 Feb, 2011 at 13:27
It looks delicious; I keep meaning to find alternative ways of cooking roast chicken.
Wed, 9 Feb, 2011 at 14:18
Oh, interesting take on the standard roast chicken. It’s a wonderfully aromatic and tasty marinade, and the fact that it soaks all the way through – yum. I bet it would make for a mean bbq chicken marinade too.
Liking the different accoutrements too – the plantain look so good on the plate and are really something different (for me at least).
Wed, 9 Feb, 2011 at 14:21
Yum! Love the look of this for a change from your bog standard roast chicken. Plantains look delish too – where do you buy them from?
Wed, 9 Feb, 2011 at 15:13
Yeebot – Tesco or sainsburys sell plantains in ethnic minority areas as there’s a demand for it. Or track down an Indian or Afro Caribbean greengrocers…
Wed, 9 Feb, 2011 at 17:03
That roast chicken looks sensational! I can almost smell it through the blog….
Wed, 9 Feb, 2011 at 23:07
your meal, as always, looks so good and makes me so hungry!
Now if only I had an oven…
Sun, 13 Feb, 2011 at 16:35
That marinade sounds gorgeous! And all your side dishes look perfect.
Mon, 14 Feb, 2011 at 20:46
Wowza- that looks fantastic! One of my best friends back in Australia is Peruvian- this has made me homesick (in a funny sort of way) all over again!
Tue, 15 Feb, 2011 at 16:15
Robert: It’s just something a little different!
Hanna: 😀 I have to admit that before this chicken, guinea pig was all I knew about Peruvian cuisine!
Keith: How wonderful! I’d love to see your mother’s recipe!
kat: Thank you so much!
Mr Noodles: 😀 Maybe I should start on this Peruvian chicken shop thing!
Lizzie: Strangely, we don’t roast whole chickens very often. We tend to break them down first.
The Grubworm: If you can bbq it, it’ll be fantastic, I bet. I also read about using this marinade with the beer can up the butt of the chicken roasting method!
yeebot: Where do you live in London? Here near where I am (in West London), there are quite a few Carribean shops and they stock them in all stages of ripeness.
Gourmet Chick: Oh, thank you!
niamh: oh no! No oven! Dang it. Very sorry – I do use my oven a bit in the winter.
Foodycat: Thank you so much!
Tori: Awww….
Sun, 27 Feb, 2011 at 17:19
I love it – the plantains in Nigeria are called dodo; to be honest the full plate resembles a ‘Naija’ dinner – fantastic
Mon, 2 Jan, 2012 at 18:02
Digg…
While posting on DIGG today I found this…
Fri, 12 Apr, 2013 at 17:55
Hello
I love your post, I am Peruvian and my mother lived on top of a polleria in Peru and I have to say that your recipe is very very closed to hers, she ads chinese 5 spice and it tastes like the chicken you it at “la Pollerias” in Peru we eat it with fresh cut french fries and pickled red raddishes.