Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa)

Add the cumin and coriander seeds to a medium-sized sauté pan and cook over low to medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes while occasionally stirring.

Transfer the toasted seeds to a mortar and pestle and grind until finely ground.

Next, add the garlic and ginger to the mortar and pestle and grind using the pestle until finely minced. It’s okay if there are some bigger pieces.

Add the rosemary, huacatay (or mint leaves), red wine vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, and aji panca (or ancho chili) to the mortar and pestle. Mix until combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

To replace the aji panca, remove the stem and seeds from 1 dried ancho chili. Cook it on a middle rack at 275°F (135°C) for 15 to 20 minutes until crunchy. Let it cool slightly, then grind it in the mortar and pestle with the other marinade ingredients.

Rinse and pat dry the inside and outside of the chicken and place it in a large bowl.

Pour all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken, reserving the remaining amount for later. Coat the chicken inside the cavity, on the outside, and under the skin as best you can.

Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, and up to 72 hours.

When done marinating, remove the chicken from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to remove the chill.

Tuck the wings behind the chicken and tie the legs together using butcher’s twine. Place the chicken on a rack in a pan and pour in 2 cups of water or chicken stock into the bottom of the pan.

Bake in a preheated oven on a middle rack at 400°F (200°C) for 70 to 75 minutes, or until well browned and cooked throughout. The juices should run clear, and the thickest part of the chicken should register 162°F to 163°F (72°C to 73°C) when pulled from the oven. Alternatively, cook on a grill with one side heated over high heat, placing the pan on the unheated side of the grill for the same time and temperature.

Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes uncovered. Brush with the remaining reserved marinade.