Any experts on pollo a la brasa (peruvian roasted chicken) out there?

[kirk9000]

I'm addicted to a number of Peruvian chicken places in the LA area. For example, Takatis in Van Nuys. I'm curious if anyone has a killer recipe for the stuff. I've tried a couple of recipes I've found online and not found them to be terrible great. Ditto for the aji amarillo (green chile) sauce that it's normally served with, and bonus points for the red and yellow variations!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, kirk9000 said:

I'm addicted to a number of Peruvian chicken places in the LA area. For example, Takatis in Van Nuys. I'm curious if anyone has a killer recipe for the stuff. I've tried a couple of recipes I've found online and not found them to be terrible great. Ditto for the aji amarillo (green chile) sauce that it's normally served with, and bonus points for the red and yellow variations!

 

Aji amarillo is yellow, is it not?  By chance I made Peruvian chicken tonight for dinner but I am no expert.  Have you tried Kenji's version?

 

[kirk9000]

I'm guessing the chile could be picked when green or yellow.... but admittedly I haven't researched it.  I guess I should have said,  the green and/or yellow and/or red sauce....  haven't tried Kenji's version, I'll take a look

3 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Aji amarillo is yellow, is it not?  By chance I made Peruvian chicken tonight for dinner but I am no expert.  Have you tried Kenji's version?

 

 

[Okanagancook]

10 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Aji amarillo is yellow, is it not?  By chance I made Peruvian chicken tonight for dinner but I am no expert.  Have you tried Kenji's version?

 

Yes, they are pretty much used when yellow ripe.  But they are also sold dried and are called aji mirasol which are reddish yellow..    the fresh ones have a meaty texture with complex sweetness and mild to moderate heat.

 

one can buy the peppers made into a paste, sold in jars.

 

sorry I couldn’t find a recipe for the Peruvian chicken but the correct pepper would be essential.

[eldereno]

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018974-peruvian-roasted-chicken-with-spicy-cilantro-sauce

has been going around on Facebook

[heidih]

Yes the sauce is a major feature, but overall I think it is the wood smoke that separates what I get at my local from what I would even attempt at home. You drive up to this little place dwarfed by piles of wood and you have started salivating from over a block away from the wonderful smell.

Edited January 19, 2018 by heidih (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On 1/19/2018 at 10:27 AM, Okanagancook said:

Yes, they are pretty much used when yellow ripe.  But they are also sold dried and are called aji mirasol which are reddish yellow..    the fresh ones have a meaty texture with complex sweetness and mild to moderate heat.

 

one can buy the peppers made into a paste, sold in jars.

 

sorry I couldn’t find a recipe for the Peruvian chicken but the correct pepper would be essential.

 

I have used this brand:

Zócalo Peru Aji Amarillo Pods, Organic

 

When I was preparing the sauce the other night I went to my bedroom but could not find aji amarillo.  So I used aji panca and a couple serranos.  Sometimes one has to make do.

 

Edited January 28, 2018 by Smithy
Adjusted link to be Amazon-friendly (log)

[Okanagancook]

So you don’t use the paste from yellow Aji

 Amarillo’s?

Edited January 20, 2018 by Okanagancook (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

11 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

So you don’t use the paste from yellow Aji

 Amarillo’s?

 

 

I've never tried paste, I use dried aji.

 

[nickrey]

Don't use English when searching. Google "pollo a la brasa receta" Each web page (which will mainly be from Peru) will have a "translate this page" link next to it. Click and read.

 

For the sauce google "salsa de ají amarillo receta"

Edited January 20, 2018 by nickrey
Added salsa instructions (log)

[Joe Blowe]

On 1/19/2018 at 2:16 PM, heidih said:

 

 

That looks like Pollo Ala Brasa in Gardena, Calif. I'm lucky to live just a few miles away from this glorious chicken shack!

 

FWIW, they use eucalyptus as their sole source of firewood. It's cheap and abundant here in California. Although you would never want to run a smoker with eucalyptus -- due to the volatile organics that would foul your choice of meat -- it works great for grilling...

[heidih]

35 minutes ago, Joe Blowe said:

 

That looks like Pollo Ala Brasa in Gardena, Calif. I'm lucky to live just a few miles away from this glorious chicken shack!

 

FWIW, they use eucalyptus as their sole source of firewood. It's cheap and abundant here in California. Although you would never want to run a smoker with eucalyptus -- due to the volatile organics that would foul your choice of meat -- it works great for grilling...

 

 

Yes that is the one. I didn't know about the eucalyptus. Great experiment to plan since I have lots of it stacked up 

[Katie Meadow]

I use thigh-leg pieces and marinate them in a mix that includes some aji amarillo paste. They get grilled or roasted in the oven. Don't know where this recipe came from, but here it is, for better or worse. 

 

                    2 T soy sauce 
                    juice of two limes
                    5 cloves of garlic, grated or mashed
                    2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
                    1 tsp balsamic vinegar
                    ¼ cup dark beer 
                     1 T olive oil
                     1 T aji amarillo paste or more to taste
                    1½ teaspoons ground cumin
                     1 tsp dried Mexican or Indio oregano
                      1 tsp dried rosemary
                       salt and pepper to taste
                      ½ tsp cayenne or less, or dash of
                       Crystal or Cholula hot sauce or sriracha

 

This recipe clearly reflects that Peruvian / Chinese connection. There is also a complex sauce to serve with it but I am far too lazy to bother and simply baste with the marinade. That sauce involves cilantro, mustard, jalapeños, honey, cotija cheese and more aji amarillo paste. Since I have a gas grill the kind of wood is not relevant, but it might be wise to read up on cooking with Eucalytus before throwing it on the barbie; it is problematic in a variety of ways as far as I know. I've burned it in a fireplace but you are well advised to to let it dry 2 years before burning and it does burn very hot. 
 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

While cleaning up in the kitchen just now I found my stash of aji amarillo.  Truthfully two stashes of aji amarillo.  Duh.

 

[HungryChris]

I am definitely not an expert on the subject, but I found these on the internet some years ago and have liked them both very much. I am making  the second one tonight with rock Cornish game hens and because it is raining, not on the rotisserie, but on a bed of vegetables in a Dutch oven.

HC

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/grilling-peruvian-rotisserie-chicken-recipe.html

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/grilling-mojo-marinated-chicken-recipe.html

Edited January 22, 2018 by HungryChris (log)

[Katie Meadow]

7 minutes ago, HungryChris said:

I am definitely not an expert on the subject, but I found this on the internet some years ago and have liked  it very much. I am making it tonight with rock Cornish game hens and because it is raining, not on the rotisserie, but on a bed of vegetables in a Dutch oven.

HC

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/grilling-peruvian-rotisserie-chicken-recipe.html

That Serious Eats recipe sounds like it would make a good grilled chicken, but it doesn't include the Aji Amarillo paste. The body copy notes that it didn't quite match up to the expected Peruvian Chicken that inspired the author to make it. Maybe no chili paste is the reason. 

[Kerala]

I know nothing about this topic but I'm so planning to go to Peru to try this! Will look out for somewherenext time I'm in London, probably my best chance in  the short to medium term.