This has become one of the family’s favorite dishes. I first made this at the start of the pandemic, I wanted to serve something other than the usual roast chicken. It’s packed with more flavor since it uses different kinds of spices. Peruvian cuisine is influenced by Spain which may be one of the reasons why we love it. Since Spain has the strongest culinary influence on Filipino food.
This recipe is adapted from Epicurious. This for me gives the perfect balance of flavor and taste I was looking for. To make you will need one whole spatchcock chicken. I got the Bell & Evans brand from Whole Foods.
Pre-heat your oven to 400F
Rinse and pat dry your chicken. Rub the chicken with the juice of one lemon and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and set aside.
In a small bowl mix the following: 3-4 cloves finely minced garlic. 1 Tablespoon paprika, 1 Tablespoon Cumin, 1 Tablespoon Olive oil, 1 teaspoon Oregano, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, juice and zest of 1 lemon. Mix well. Rub the marinade all over both sides of the chicken. Transfer your chicken on a roasting pan lined with foil.
Place chicken in the oven and roast for about 1 hour. While chicken is roasting baste every 20 minutes or so with it’s pan juices or with your marinade. I usually reserve a bit for basting.
I serve it with rice and garlic aioli. For the aioli, mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 yogurt, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, salt to taste and a sprinkling of parsley flakes.
You may use chicken drumsticks, wings or thighs if you don’t have spatchcock chicken.
