Peruvian Chicken

If you are looking for a quick Peruvian chicken fix, I have found one that is the little brother to Pollo Rico in Arlington Va.If you can find it the name of the restaurant is Wild Chicken(11039 Lee Hwy, Fairfax, VA 22030).It is behind a building, the best way I can describe the directions is to drive towards Fairfax City and take a right after the guitar and big screen store into the next parking lot..down the hill in the back of the building.It offers a solid version of one of my favorites..Peruvian chicken has become quite popular on the East Coast during the last 10-12 years.It has a very unique marinade and is traditionally cooked over charcoal and served with yucca or french fries and a small salad or cole slaw.Here is a quick version of a Peruvian Chicken recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Chile powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Preparation:

Combine vinegar,garlic,chili,cumin,garlic salt,paprika and soy sauce in a food processor to form a paste.. Mix well to form a paste. Add lemon juice to cold water. Trim chicken of any excess or loose fat. Wash chicken thoroughly with lemon water. Place chicken in zip-top bag. Pour spice paste over chicken. Coat chicken completely with mixture rubbing into every surface. Try to get the paste under the skin as much as possible.
Seal bag and place chicken in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. The chicken will have more flavor the longer it "marinates" in the spice mixture. Do not refrigerate for more than 24 hours hours.

Preheat grill and prepare rotisserie. Place chicken on rotisserie and on the grill for approximately 1 1/2 hours at a temperature around 300 degrees F. Test chicken for doneness by measure in the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh. Chicken is done at 165 degrees F.

This chicken is frequently served with a few dipping sauce. A simple version of this sauce is made from combining 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons mustard and 2 tablespoons lime juice.If you would like to add some extra heat to this sauce you can add a few pieces of habanero or jalapeno pepper to spice it up to your liking.If you can find it you can also use the traditional Peruvian pepper called "Aji" pronounced AAH_EE, it is very rare that this pepper can be found readily available in the fresh form in the US, it can be found or ordered in some specialty stores and underground markets.Aji is one of the most popular spices used in Peruvian cuisine, this pepper is .originally from the Indies, and was brought to Peru in the 1800's by the Spaniards.There is a jarred pureed version that is readily available in most international markets.Peruvian food has a huge Asian influence in many of its recipes.There was a huge influx of Chinese immigrants to Peru in the mid 1800's and a great deal of their cuisine has some Chinese/Asian influence in its recipes.Currently there are more than 2000 Asian restaurants in Peru also referred to as CHIFAS, which are still sculpting much of the current cuisine today.