Sweet and savory chicken drumettes + Peruvian spicy green sauce

 

Well that’s sort of a bummer the 49ers lost last night. For a minute there I thought they might just be able to pull one out but…no. The power surge though, now that was exciting. I had more fun on Twitter for those 35 minutes than I did watching the whole game methinks.

So this is what we ate during the game: sticky sweet chicken drumettes dressed in a mish mash of seasonings and spices pretty reminiscent of traditional Peruvian barbecue. The marinade is typically slathered on skewered BBQ’d beef heart which is something I absolutely love. I think I’ll make it for you this summer when I fire up the grill. You’ll still love me right? If I give you cow heart. Hello?

 

Sweet and savory chicken drumettes

 

For 20 chicken drumettes

 

1 tablespoon ají colorado

1 teaspoon New Mexico chile powder

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons red vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup canola oil

 

20 chicken drumettes

 

// Put all the ingredients, except the chicken, into a blender and blitz it up until smooth. Dump this into a large bowl and add the chicken drumettes, mixing and massaging with your hands. Let this marinate at room temperature for about 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange chicken onto a baking sheet and spread out. Put in the middle rack of the oven and cook for about 35-40 minutes then stick under the broiler to get golden brown, about another 7-10 minutes. Let rest and eat with spicy green sauce, corn on the cob, and grilled/boiled potatoes (please, please, please!)

 

 

And with roasted or grilled chicken there must always be spicy green sauce to go with. This is a trademark Peruvian thang that we always have at the table. Yum.

 

Peruvian spicy green sauce

If green isn’t your thing, try the ají amarillo sauce instead– we usually offer both at parties. 

 

Makes about 2 cups

 

1 small yellow onion, chopped roughly

8 serrano chile peppers, seeded and chopped roughly

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

8 ounces queso fresco, crumbled roughly

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon curly parsley, chopped roughly

 

// Put all the ingredients, except the parsley, into the blender and mix to smooth. Taste for seasonings and then add the parsley at the last second and blitz until you can see fine specks. This keeps for about a week in the fridge. Eat it with everything.