Pollo ala Brassa, aka 'Peruvian Chicken'

[mike.stavlund]

One of the great foods we have in the DC area is 'Pollo ala Brassa', also known as 'Peruvian Chicken'.  It's chicken spit-roasted over charcoal, generally served with french fried potatoes or yucca.  It's pretty awesome stuff-- juicy and crispy and wonderful. 

Ever since I got my rotisserie setup off CL last year, I've been trying to figure it out, with little success.  I mean, my chicken is good and juicy, but the flavors aren't quite right.  I've done some Googling, but the recipes I've tried haven't had the right kinds of flavors (most call for soy sauce, for example, but that doesn't seem to work). 

The trouble is that I'm not able to pick out the flavors when I'm eating in the restaurant, so I was hoping someone here could help me identify the flavors at play, if not a decent recipe.  I'm thinking I should be brining the birds, but again haven't seen that as a cooking component in my online research. 

Any help?

[edhead35]

http://bbq.about.com/od/chickenrecipes/r/bl70730a.htm

Not sure if this is close but I will try this soon.

[mike.stavlund]

Thanks, Ed.  That seems much more promising that anything I've tried yet.  The vinegar, white wine, and lemon seem like just the thing for the sour/sweet component.  I think I'll give this a shot this weekend. 

Really appreciate it!

[edhead35]

We have a Peruvian group at work, I'll have to ask around.

[Jocool]

I wouldnt have thought that a Peruvian recipe would call for Sy sauce.  Id be more inclined to ise the vinegar and lemon as you stated.

Sent from another planet using Mental Telepathy.

[mike.stavlund]

That's exactly what I thought, jocool, except that I saw a ton of recipes online (some from reputable chefs) that called for soy sauce.  But it doesn't taste right to me, that's for sure.  I think Ed's recipe looks much better. 

[pbe gummi bear]

Mike, what kind of soy sauce? Most Americans gravitate to the well known  kikkoman but its very salty, and has a bitter iodine like flavor that overpowers. Filipinos generally cook with silver swan, which mixes much better with sour favors like vinegar because its sweet. The national dish adobo is usually equal parts soy sauce and vinegar.

I'm not suggesting that soy sauce is traditional to the Peruvian chicken though but I would give that a shot.

[pbe gummi bear]

Mike, check out this link. The other recipes I found are just normal American style roasted chicken recipes but this one has a bunch if stuff that may give that special flavor. They also outline how to make the sauces which is also crucial

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/681455

Here is the best post there:

Here is a great rotisserie version of Pollo a la Brasa built from many of the previously mentioned recipes. The addition of Brandy was suggested by a very friendly and helpful Toronto shop owner who specializes in South American products. Since the availability of PalB is poor in Toronto, this is a very tasty recipe that holds us over until our next trip to Washington / Arlington.

Poppi's Famous Pollo a la Brasa

Ingredients
2 Limes, juiced
2 Garlic cloves, crushed through hand press
2T Huacatay en salsa paste (Peru Gourmet brand)
1/2T Sugar
1t Aji paste (Goya brand Aji Amarillo)
1/2t Cumin, ground
1/4t Paprika
2t Annatto powder
1t Salt
1t Black Pepper
1t Mexican Oregano
1T Napoleon Brandy

Procedure:
1) Mix together all ingredients to form a thin (slightly runny) paste.
2) Wash the chicken thoroughly with lemon water and remove any excess fat. Rub the paste all over the inside and outside of the chicken, including under the skin. Place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours
3) Remove trussed chicken from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature while you prepare the grill. Cook on BBQ rotiserrie at lowest setting for 1.5 hrs (or til done, but don't over cook), let stand 10 minutes. Serve with two (or more) dipping sauces.

Dipping sauces:
1. Spicy mayo-mustard : Mix a cup of good mayo with a half cup of French's mustard. Mix in a tablespoon of aji, a good squeeze of lime juice, a teaspoon of ground annatto, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Fiery green pepper sauce : In a food processor, pulse six jalapeno peppers (to ease the heat, cut out the white interior "ribs") and the juice of one lime. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Aji Sauce : Mix aji paste, olive oil, green onions, and lime juice in a medium bowl.
4. Cheese Sauce : Blend queso fresco (or low salt feta), red onion, oil, milk, turmeric mixture, chile, salt and pepper, and lemon juice in a blender until it becomes creamy.

[1buckie]

Mike, what kind of soy sauce? Most Americans gravitate to the well known  kikkoman but its very salty, and has a bitter iodine like flavor that overpowers. Filipinos generally cook with silver swan, which mixes much better with sour favors like vinegar because its sweet. The national dish adobo is usually equal parts soy sauce and vinegar.

I'm not suggesting that soy sauce is traditional to the Peruvian chicken though but I would give that a shot.

"Most Americans gravitate to the well known  kikkoman but its very salty, and has a bitter iodine like flavor that overpowers. "

 This right here ^^^^^^^^

Mushroom soy is the only thing I'll use.....the other stuff is like eating a mouthful of salt....not very good salt......

[mike.stavlund]

That's awesome, Lawrence!  Thanks so much.  Especially for the lead on the sauces.  You're right, those are key.  And that is great wisdom about the finer points of soy sauces-- I had  no idea.

And that recipe sounds really right to me... I'm trying to taste it in my imagination, and it's really good.  ;-)  There are a few specialized ingredients in the list though, which I'll have to start looking for this week. 

I need to do two or three chickens for my daughter's back-to-school picnic on Tuesday, so I will prolly give Ed's recipe a try first.  But the lime and the brandy and the exotic ingredients are very intriguing.  And it'll be fun to drop in on some Hispanic groceries and look around.  I see a Mexican Coke in my future.  ;-)

(BTW, the recipe's reference to 'Washington and Arlington' is almost certainly about 'El Pollo Rico', an incredible Peruvian chicken joint in Arlington, VA.  Not to be missed if one's travels bring them to Washington DC.  When Anthony Bourdain did his show on DC, word of mouth compelled him to try El Pollo Rico, and he was dumbfounded at the great chicken.)

[pbe gummi bear]

 Bourdain at El Pollo Rico: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CA2MlGoo7o Dang, That's alot of Chicken! The best line is "But, Marinated in what?!?!?.... There's some flavor in this but I have no idea what it is!" I am left wondering the same thing when I eat Pollo a la Brasa.

[mike.stavlund]

Yeah, that's the place!  I have no illusion that my chicken will ever get even close to that stuff.  There are Peruvian chicken joints all around that place, and El Pollo Rico is always the busiest.  It's insanely good.

They had a few off years, when their old building (with ancient, built-in pits) was demolished, but their fancy new pits are seasoned now and they are as good as ever. 

[mike.stavlund]

Oh, and to answer Lawrence and buckie's questions, no, I haven't seen any recipes that specified *what kind* of soy sauce. 

[mike.stavlund]

Research is underway.  Tried Ed's recipe today as a practice run for multiple birds for tomorrow's picnic at my kid's elementary school.





In an effort to get the fire on just one side of the food, I elevated the bottom grate by turning two bricks on edge on the bottom grate (you can see them in the photo, wrapped in aluminum foil), then putting another bottom grate on top and setting the drip pan and coal baskets on that.  Seemed to produce a ton of heat-- the lid thermo on my SS performer pegged out in the first few minutes of the cook.   

The meat is resting now, so we'll see how the flavor is in a minute.

[mike.stavlund]

It tasted pretty good!  Not going to make the folks at El Pollo Rico close up shop, but the best rotis chicken I've made yet, that's for sure. 

It needed a bit more salt, and a longer marinate (I cheated it down to about 1.5 hours).  I think next time I'll marinate the chicken overnight.  And maybe add some oregano.  And maybe brandy instead of white wine.  ;-)

Looks like I'll have to wait awhile, though, as the kids' 'picnic' seems to be changing into a 'snack and playdate'.  And I'm sitting on a dozen smoke-roasted potatoes that I was going to make into potato salad...