Peruvian Chicken + Green Sauce

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30-45 minutes

This is a great take on Peruvian chicken from Serious Eats. The vinegary and spiced marinade gets you restaurant quality food at home. This version shortens the cooking time by roasting in the oven at a high temperature.

Ingredients

For the green sauce:

3 whole jalapeño chiles, roughly chopped (see note)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (1 ounce; 28g)
2 medium cloves garlic
1/2 cup (120ml) mayonnaise
1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream
2 teaspoons (10ml) fresh juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon (5ml) distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Chicken:

1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds (1.6 to 1.8kg), spatchcocked (see note)
4 teaspoons (20g) kosher salt
2 tablespoons (30g) ground cumin
2 tablespoons (30g) paprika
1 teaspoon (5g) freshly ground black pepper
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons (30ml) white vinegar
2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch spring onions
To serve: some raw radishes

Chef Tips

1 whole ripe avocado can replace the fat and dairy of the mayo a sour cream if you need two make a substitution.

Note: spatchcocking refers to removing the back bone the chicken can open up like a butterfly. This promotes more even cooking so heat can canvas more surface area. Have your butcher do this to save you time.

Preparation

Step 1 (for the green sauce)

Combine jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and vinegar in the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth. With blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauce will be quite loose at this point, but will thicken as it sits. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 2

Combine salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil in a small bowl and massage with fingertips until homogeneous. Spread mixture evenly over all surfaces of chicken.

Step 3

Preheat the oven fo 500F. Line a baking tray with parchment. Place the chicken skin side up on top of the spring onions and roast in the bottom third of the oven until cooked through or an instant-read thermometer reaches 150F.

Step 4

Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Carve and serve with sauce and radishes.