Pollo a la brasa

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1whole chicken, about 1.8 kg

Marinade

• 80 mldark beer
• 60 mlsoy sauce
• 3 tbspají panca paste
• 1 tbspground cumin
• 1 tbspdried oregano
• 6 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 1 tbsppaprika
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tbspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1 tsphuacatay paste, optional

Ají verde sauce

• 1large bunch coriander
• 3ají amarillo, deseeded
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 100 gmayonnaise
• 50 gqueso fresco
• juice of 1 lime
• salt

To serve

• thick-cut chips
• a simple salad
• ají amarillo mayonnaise
• ketchup and mustard

Directions

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients into a thick dark paste. Ají panca is dark, mild and faintly smoky rather than hot, and it is the other half of the colour.
2. Rub the rest all over, inside and out. Now marinate it in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and 24 is better. Take it out an hour before cooking to come to room temperature.
3. Cook it skin side up over indirect heat for 45 minutes with the lid on. Then move it over the coals for the last 10 to 15 minutes to crisp the skin, watching it constantly.
4. Turn it often in those last minutes, because it goes from burnished to burnt very quickly.
5. Use a thermometer: it is done at 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part of the thigh. In an oven, roast at 200°C (390°F) for about an hour, which works well though it lacks the smoke.
6. Rest it 10 minutes before carving. Blend the coriander, ají amarillo, garlic, mayonnaise, queso fresco and lime into a smooth pale green sauce.
7. Blend it properly smooth and taste it. It should be creamy, sharp and clearly hot, and it should make you want more chicken. Serve the chicken quartered with thick chips, a plain salad and a generous pot of ají verde.

Technique

• Huacatay, black Andean mint, is used in some marinades and gives a distinctive note.
• The dark colour comes from soy and ají panca rather than from any burning.
• Leftover chicken makes very good sandwiches with the ají verde.

Substitutions

• Ají panca paste from a jar, which is what most people use.
• A hot oven in place of charcoal, accepting less smoke.

Variations

• Cooked on a proper rotisserie, which is the restaurant method.
• With huacatay in the marinade.
• Served with ají amarillo mayonnaise as well as ají verde.

History

Invented around 1950 at Granja Azul outside Lima by Swiss-born Roger Schuler; Peru declared it a cultural heritage dish in 2010.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pollo a la brasa?

Pollo a la brasa is a main from Peru: charcoal rotisserie chicken with fries and ají dipping sauces. Invented around 1950 at Granja Azul outside Lima by Swiss-born Roger Schuler; Peru declared it a cultural heritage dish in 2010.

How long does Pollo a la brasa take to make?

Pollo a la brasa takes 30 min plus 12 hr marinating of preparation and 1 hr 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Pollo a la brasa?

Yes, within limits. Ají panca paste from a jar, which is what most people use. A hot oven in place of charcoal, accepting less smoke.

What is the most important thing to get right in Pollo a la brasa?

Mix all the marinade ingredients into a thick dark paste. Ají panca is dark, mild and faintly smoky rather than hot, and it is the other half of the colour.