Pollo a la Brasa

Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Rotisserie-Style Roast Chicken)

Peru's national dish: a whole chicken marinated in soy sauce, beer, cumin and Peruvian chillies, then roasted until the skin is burnished mahogany and shatteringly crisp, served with fries and a creamy green ají sauce.

Prep

30 min

Cook

75 min

Total

105 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.6 kg (3½ lb) whole chicken, spatchcocked for even cooking in a home oven
• •60 ml (¼ cup) dark soy sauce
• •60 ml (¼ cup) lager beer
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) white vinegar
• •8 g (1 tbsp) ground cumin, toasted and freshly ground if possible
• •6 g (1 tbsp) smoked paprika
• •4 g (2 tsp) dried oregano, preferably Peruvian
• •6 g (1 tbsp) garlic paste, fresh, not jarred
• •10 g (2 tsp) ají panca paste, Peruvian red chilli paste; substitute 1 tsp smoked paprika + 1 small minced chipotle in adobo if unavailable
• •5 g (1 tsp) ají amarillo paste, Peruvian yellow chilli paste; substitute mild yellow curry powder if unavailable
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
• •8 g (1 tbsp) fine salt
• •3 g (1 tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •800 g (1¾ lb) russet potatoes, for classic thick-cut fries
• •1 L (4 cups) neutral oil, for frying, e.g. sunflower or canola
• •120 ml (½ cup) mayonnaise
• •30 g (¼ cup) fresh huacatay or cilantro leaves, huacatay (black mint) is traditional; coriander/cilantro is the home substitute
• •20 g (2) fresh ají limo or red finger chillies, seeded for mild heat; substitute jalapeño
• •15 g (1 tbsp) fresh lime juice, about 1 lime
• •1 clove garlic
• •2 g (¼ tsp) salt, for the sauce

Steps

1. 1 Spatchcock the chicken: place breast-down on a board and cut along both sides of the backbone with kitchen shears to remove it, then flip and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten. Pat the skin and cavity very dry with paper towels.
2. 2 Make the marinade: whisk together soy sauce, beer, vinegar, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic paste, ají panca, ají amarillo, oil, salt and pepper in a non-reactive bowl. It should taste salty, tangy and deeply spiced.
3. 3 Tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders and tie the legs loosely with butcher's twine so the bird keeps its shape. Slip your fingers under the skin of the breast and thighs to loosen it without tearing, then rub about two-thirds of the marinade under the skin directly onto the meat. Rub the rest all over the outside and inside the cavity.
4. 4 Marinate uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Resting uncovered helps dry the skin for crisping — the key to a true pollo a la brasa crust.
5. 5 Prepare the green ají sauce: combine mayonnaise, huacatay or cilantro, seeded fresh chillies, lime juice, garlic and salt in a blender and blitz until smooth and vivid green. Taste and adjust salt. Chill until serving.
6. 6 For the fries: peel potatoes and cut into 2 cm (about ¾ in) batons. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly on a clean towel — wet fries will not crisp.
7. 7 Heat frying oil in a heavy pot to 160 °C / 320 °F. Fry the potatoes in small batches for 5–6 minutes until soft but not coloured. Remove and drain on a rack. Just before serving, raise the oil to 190 °C / 375 °F and refry the blanched fries for 2–3 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Salt immediately.
8. 8 Set up your home 'rotisserie': position a wire rack set over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F with a convection fan (or 230 °C / 450 °F conventional). If you have a rotisserie spit and a chimney starter of lumpwood charcoal, use it over the grill for the most authentic smoke; otherwise the high-heat rack method mimics the result closely.
9. 9 Place the marinated chicken skin-side up directly on the rack. Roast for 50–65 minutes, until the skin is burnished mahogany-brown and crisp all over and a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 75 °C / 165 °F with juices running clear. If the breast brownens before the thigh is done, tent loosely with foil.
10. 10 Rest the chicken uncovered for 10 minutes so the juices redistribute and the skin stays crisp. Cut into quarters or carve into pieces.
11. 11 Serve immediately on a large platter with the double-fried fries piled alongside, a bowl of the green ají sauce for dipping, and lime wedges. In Peru this is eaten with the hands — squeeze the lime over the chicken, dip into the sauce and enjoy.