Grilled Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa with Aji Verde Sauce

Whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano and oil, then rub all over the spatchcocked chicken and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.6kg), spatchcocked
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, packed
• 2 jalapenos, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp crumbled queso fresco or cotija
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano and oil, then rub all over the spatchcocked chicken and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Set up a grill for indirect heat, banking the coals to one side, and bring it to a steady medium heat.
3. Place the chicken skin-side up over the cooler side, close the lid, and cook low and slow until the thickest part reaches 74C, about 45 to 55 minutes.
4. Move the chicken skin-side down over the direct heat for the last few minutes to blister and crisp the skin.
5. Meanwhile, blend the cilantro, jalapenos, mayonnaise, queso fresco and a splash of lime with salt until you have a creamy, vivid green aji verde.
6. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes, then carve into pieces.
7. Serve the smoky chicken with the aji verde spooned over and more on the side for dipping.
8. Pollo a la brasa is Peru's beloved rotisserie chicken, charcoal-roasted until the spiced skin turns mahogany and crackling, and no Peruvian table serves it without a bowl of fiery, herby aji verde alongside. Cooking it over a backyard grill captures that same wood-fire depth, and the cool green sauce - bright with cilantro and chili - is exactly what cuts through the smoke on a warm summer evening.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 560 kcal
• Protein: 45g
• Fat: 39g
• Carbohydrates: 6g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 890mg