Pollo a la Brasa

Ingredients

• 1 free-range chicken, about 1.8kg
• 60ml dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp aji panca paste
• 2 tbsp huacatay paste, or 2 tbsp chopped mint plus 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 150ml dark beer or stout
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• For the aji verde sauce: 3 aji amarillo peppers or 3 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 1 large bunch coriander
• 1 garlic clove
• 100g mayonnaise
• 50g feta or queso fresco
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 800g potatoes, cut into chips, to serve

Before you cook

• Crush the 6 garlic cloves to a paste with a pinch of salt
• Whisk the soy sauce, aji panca, huacatay, garlic paste, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, vinegar, beer, oil and honey together in a jug
• Spatchcock the chicken by cutting out the backbone with heavy scissors, then press hard on the breastbone to flatten it
• Pierce the thighs and drumsticks several times with a skewer so the marinade gets in

Steps

1. Put the flattened chicken in a large dish or a strong bag and pour the marinade over it.
2. Rub the marinade into every crease, including under the breast skin.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and ideally overnight.
4. Take the chicken out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking.
5. Heat the oven to 220C fan, or get a charcoal grill set up for indirect cooking at the same temperature.
6. Set the chicken skin side up on a rack over a roasting tin and pour any clinging marinade over it.
7. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin has begun to blister and darken.
8. Turn the oven down to 180C fan and roast for a further 45 minutes.
9. Baste the chicken with the juices in the tin every 15 minutes.
10. Check that the thickest part of the thigh reads 74C on a thermometer, giving it another 10 minutes if it does not.
11. Lift the chicken onto a board and rest it, loosely tented with foil, for 15 minutes.
12. Put the aji amarillo, coriander, garlic, mayonnaise, cheese and lime juice in a blender while the chicken rests.
13. Blend the sauce until it is smooth and bright green, then season it with salt.
14. Fry or roast the chips until deep gold and crisp, then salt them.
15. Joint the chicken into eight pieces, cutting through the skin with a sharp knife so it stays attached.
16. Serve the chicken with the chips and a bowl of aji verde for dipping.