Spatchcock Chicken with Aji Amarillo & Escarole
I love roasting a whole chicken. You get a variety of meat textures, crispy skin, and best of all, bones for stock. Spatchcocking both speeds and evens out the roasting process. Aji amarillo is sweet and moderately spicy and produces a beautiful golden sauce. But aji amarillo paste can be difficult to track down, so substitute whatever chili paste you have.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the chicken
1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
1 pound mixed sweet peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces sourdough bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
For the aji amarillo sauce
2 shallots, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup aji amarillo paste (see note)
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup mayonnaise
For the salad
1 head escarole, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
Edible flowers (optional)
METHOD
Spatchcock the chicken. Position the chicken on a cutting board or sheet pan so the backbone is facing up. Using a heavy duty kitchen scissors, cut along either side of the backbone and remove it. Discard (or reserve for chicken stock). Flip the chicken and press down on the breast bone to flatten the bird.
Brine the chicken (optional). In a small saucepan, combine 500 milliliters water with 100 grams of sugar and 100 grams of salt. Bring to a simmer and whisk to dissolve. Set aside. In a container large enough to hold both the chicken and brine (6-quart minimum), add 1500 milliliters cold water, along with the concentrated brine you just made. Whisk and add the chicken. Ensure that the chicken is completely submerged (weigh it down with a small plate if necessary). Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours (and up to 1 day).
Preheat the oven to 450°F with the fan on. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry (you can let the chicken dry in the refrigerator for up to 1 day - the drier the skin, the crispier it will get).
Roast the chicken. Place the chicken on a parchment-lined sheet pan and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast for about 30 minutes.
Add the peppers and bread. In a large mixing bowl, toss the peppers and torn bread with a generous amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Remove the chicken from the oven and scatter the peppers and bread around it. Bake for 20 minutes more, giving the peppers and bread a stir after 10 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the breasts are 150°F and the legs and thighs are 175°F (one of the benefits of spatchcocking is to facilitate this happening at roughly the same time).
Make the aji amarillo sauce. Sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add the tomato and aji pastes and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely. Add the lemon juice and mayonnaise and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
Toss the salad. In the same mixing bowl, toss together the escarole, peppers, croutons, and any chicken drippings from the pan. Dress with sherry vinegar and salt. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Carve the chicken. Remove the wings. Remove the legs and split the thigh and drumstick. Remove the breasts by slicing down the breastbone. Slice the breasts against the grain into ½ inch pieces. Save the bones for chicken stock.
Plate. Spoon the aji amarillo sauce onto the plate and top with an assortment of chicken pieces. Arrange the salad next to the chicken and top with flowers.
Note: Aji amarillo is a Peruvian yellow pepper with a fruity aroma and moderate heat. You can buy the paste at Latin markets, specialty grocers, or online. Hungarian wax pepper makes a good substitute (or habanero if you want more spice).
FURTHER READING
