Peruvian chicken is good stuff. Seriously good stuff. And when you match it up with that crazy Peruvian green sauce you have a winner. Pollo a la brasa.

I love a good roast chicken. It’s one of my favourite dishes. Just simple roast chicken seasoned with salt and pepper and maybe a couple sprigs in the cavity. Served up with a drizzle of a good pan sauce. Yum.

It’s my comfort food. A well executed roast chicken is a fantastic, understated, magical thing. But sometimes you want something a little less subtle.

Peruvian chicken with magic green sauce - pollo a la brasa - is a fantastic way to roast a chicken, - 1

Peruvian chicken is not understated. Not subtle. Not delicate. This is hit you over the head delicious. Big tastes. Bold spice. Loaded with flavour. Drizzle a little magic green sauce on it and it’s just wow food.

Not flashy wow. Not – “Wow. That is incredibly beautiful fancy food”. More like “Wow – that is just crazy delicious”. It’s earthy. Comfort food.

Simple honest cooking. Food for friends and family. Satisfying. Food you will want to eat again and again.

Watch how to make Peruvian chicken

Aji verde – magic green sauce

The green sauce that goes with Peruvian chicken is called aji verde. Sounds exotic. But it’s just dressed mayonnaise. Really dressed up maybe but still basically mayo.

Aji verde is a snap to make. Toss some stuff in a blender. Whiz. Done. Just as easy as that. So don’t leave it out. Make it. A little goes a long way.

And aji verde drizzled Peruvian chicken sandwiches are epic. It’s worth making this just for the sandwiches.

Peruvian chicken on a cutting board from above. - 2 Peruvian chicken on a cutting board from above. - 3 Peruvian chicken with aji amarillo dipping sauce - 4

peruvian chicken - pollo a la brasa

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste - Peruvian chili paste
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil
  • enough water to form a smooth paste

Aji Verde - Peruvian green dipping sauce

  • 1 cup cilantro leaves - stems are OK mixed in here
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Aji amarillo paste
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • juice of 1/2 lime

Peruvian chicken - pollo a la brasa

  • 1 3-4 lb chicken
  • the marinade
  • Aji verde, cilantro and lime to serve

Instructions

  • Combine all the marinade ingredients. Stir to combine.
  • Combine the Aji Verde ingredients in a blender or food processor. If blending, put the liquid ingredients in the first. Layer in the jalapeño, garlic and cilantro last. Blend to combine. Set aside.

Peruvian chicken

  • Spatchcock the chicken. That’s not a big deal. Just cut out the backbone (that’s the part opposite the breasts). Open up the bird on a cutting board and push down hard on the breast. Easy. Check out the video to see what it looks like.
  • Coat the chicken well with the marinade. You should have lots. Get some on the inside surface as well. Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour. You can go up to 12 hours.
  • Pre-heat your oven to 350F. I know I usually suggest higher but in the case the chicken will get too brown.
  • Place the chicken on a baking sheet or large skillet and roast until the thigh reaches an internal temperature of 175F. This takes 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes.
  • Optionally there is a lot of goodness in the bottom of your baking dish. You can spoon off the fat and deglaze with a little chicken stock. To deglaze heat up the pan and add the stock. Stir to get the brown bits to dissolve. This makes a nice little pan sauce. Adds a nice extra flavour boost for a change.
  • To serve, carve the chicken up into pieces. Split each breast half in half again (so you have 4 pieces). Cut off the wings. Split the thighs from the drumsticks. Serve with a drizzle of aji verde and pass the extra along side.

Nutrition

Perfect shrimp cocktail. Succulent poached shrimp dipped into a tangy cocktail sauce. Who doesn’t want that? Here’s how to do it right. Every time.

I love a good shrimp cocktail. Firm flavourful shrimp. Dipped into a sauce brimming with horseradish and lemon. One of my absolute favourite appetizers.

You might say old school. Dated. So 1970s. But I say classic. Something that stands the test of time.

Perfect shrimp cocktail every time. Serve it with homemade cocktail sauce. - 5

It doesn’t always have to be trendy. But if you love trendy then I say this is retro. Call it prawn cocktail instead. Does that make it better? Can you sleep at night now?

Shrimp cocktail doesn’t have to be a watery mess

Shrimp cocktail (or prawn cocktail if we are calling it that now) gets a bad rap for one reason. The frozen shrimp ring. That thing is about the worst invention ever.

It’s like they go out of their way to make it suck. Small shrimp. Insipid cocktail sauce. Cooked and then frozen. Throw in some freezer burn and you have one big watery mess. No thank you.

Now think about the shrimp cocktail they serve at fancy steakhouses. Jumbo shrimp. Delicious sauce. White napkins. And a huge price tag. $3 a shrimp. Ouch. Set it down next to that $50 steak and it’s dinner time!

Or you can make it at home. And you can make lots of it. For about the price of good quality frozen shrimp.

shrimp cocktail on a plate - 6 shrimp cocktail on a plate - 7