Peruvian-Style Chicken with Pepper-Herb Sauce and Peruvian-Style Bean Salad

Peruvian-Style Chicken with Pepper-Herb Sauce and Peruvian-Style Bean Salad

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

  • About ¼ cup soy sauce (eyeball the amount)

  • 2 tablespoons aji amarillo (yellow chili) paste or sriracha

  • 1 tablespoon aji panca (red chili) paste or 1 tablespoon chili powder (a blend) or pasilla, ancho, harissa or chipotle paste

  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard (brown or Dijon)

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire

  • 1 tablespoon each ground cumin, pimento or paprika and oregano

  • 8-10 cloves garlic, grated or chopped

  • Two 3 ½ pound chickens, quartered

  • EVOO non-aerosol cooking spray

  • 2 limes, cut into wedges

For the Pepper-Herb Sauce:

  • 1 cup each parsley and cilantro

  • 12 aji peppers, stemmed and seeded or 4 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • Juice of 2 limes

  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried

  • 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste or Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon honey or agave

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • ½ cup grated Cotija cheese or feta

  • Pinch of salt

  • About ½ cup EVOO

For the Peruvian Bean Salad:

  • ½ pound dried or 28 ounces canned Mayocoba/Canary beans (or canned butter or pinto beans); if using dried beans, see Tip

  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

  • 1 small red onion, chopped

  • 4 aji chilies or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced

  • ½ cup chopped cilantro and parsley combined

  • 1 large or 2 medium avocado, still almost firm/a bit underripe, scooped and diced

  • Juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes

  • About ¼ cup EVOO

  • Salt and pepper

Directions

Serves: 4 to 6

For the marinade, combine ingredients and the garlic in a large food storage bag, add the chicken and turn to coat. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator.  

Preheat oven to 450°F.  

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and parchment, arrange chicken, pat skin a bit and spray with EVOO. Roast until 160 to 165°F internal temp and deeply browned or shellacked looking. 

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place all ingredients in food processor or blender except for EVOO, then process to smooth, streaming in the EVOO.    

For the Peruvian bean salad, combine all ingredients and chill or serve. 

Serve the chicken with pan drippings poured on top, lime wedges and the pepper-herb sauce on the side, along with the bean salad.