Peruvian-Style Chicken w/Green Sauce

(Updated to add photos and some comments)

I hosted a rotation group dinner (11 April 2015) with 17 friends and chose Peruvian foods for the dinner theme. I made Peruvian chicken, a green aji sauce, a yellow sauce (both spicy from jalapeno and aji peppers); and a rice/lentil side dish.

The following are the recipe for the chicken and both sauces. There are links below to the rice/lentil side dish and a Peruvian potato salad that a friend made.

I've made this chicken dish many, many times. I double the green sauce to use for other meals.

Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce

Adapated from: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/peruvian-style-roast-chicken-with-green-sauce.html

For the Chicken

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice, from 2 limes
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
4 pound whole chicken

Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a blender or mini food processor, and blend until smooth. Remove the giblets from the inside of the chicken and pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels; place in a bowl, breast side up with the legs facing you. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingers, loosen the skin from the flesh over the breasts and legs, being careful not to tear the skin or push all the way through (you want the marinade to stay inside the bird). Spoon about 2/3 of the marinade evenly underneath the skin, and spread the remaining 1/3 evenly over the skin. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Spray a rack (preferably a v-shape) with non-stick cooking spray and place the chicken on top. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin is golden. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees, and continue to roast for about an hour and ten minutes more, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (Keep an eye on it -- if it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.) Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for about 20 minutes. Tilt the chicken over the roasting pan to release the juices, then transfer to a cutting board. Carve the chicken and serve with green sauce.

For the Green Sauce [I love this sauce that I now double the recipe]

  

     

3 jalapeño chili peppers, seeded if desired [I use one large jalapeño pepper, keeping about

      1/4th of the seeds for a low-medium heat taste], roughly chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's [I used less mayonnaise]
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

[I added 1.5 ounces of queso fresco cheese, as it was listed in another recipe]

Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend into a smooth sauce. With the motor running, open lid and slowly drizzle in olive oil. It will seem very runny at this point but, don't worry, it will thicken up as it sits. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yellow Aji sauce 
Adapted from: http://vespawoolf.hubpages.com/hub/Peruvian-Sauce-Recipe

3 ounces (80 grams) queso fresco (fresh cheese), farmer's cheese or feta

1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 aji peppers (seeds & veins removed) or 1/4 cup aji amarillo paste
4 small sprigs huacatay or 1/2 teaspoon huacatay paste
4 Tablespoons (15 mL) vegetable oil, divided
1 Tablespoon raw peanuts
salt, to taste

Coarsely chop peppers, onion and garlic.

Pour 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil into a medium skillet. Over medium heat, saute vegetables until soft.

Scrape vegetables into a blender container. Add the remaining ingredients (including the rest of the vegetable oil) and blend for several minutes, until thick and creamy.

Drizzle over steamed potatoes or serve with fries, beef or chicken.

My notes: 

1. I used chicken thighs, legs, and a couple of large breasts (cut smaller). In all, about 30 pieces. Tony used his smoker and followed the directions for roasting. The breasts came out slightly dry, so next time, we’ll stick to legs and thighs. Total cooking time was about 1.5 hours. No resting of the chicken – we dove in and it disappeared quickly.

2.  The green sauce was a hit! This is definitely a sauce I’ll make many more times for my other meals. It would be great on any chicken, beef, or pork; even cooked potatoes. You can even use it as a dipping sauce with chips or pita bread.

3. The yellow sauce came out very thick. Adding a little water or sour cream will reduce the thickness. I didn’t have any raw peanuts on hand; and I used the aji amarillo paste instead of peppers.  

Here are two other recipes from the dinner:

Peruvian Potatoes with Spicy Cream Sauce (Papas a la Huancaina): http://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/peruvian-potatoes-with-spicy-cream-sauce.html

Peruvian Rice and Lentils (Tacu Tacu): http://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/peruvian-rice-lentis-tacu-tacu.html