Peruvian Roasted Chicken With Spicy Cilantro Sauce

If you measure oil in the half teaspoon first, then the honey, the honey will slide right out of the teaspoon.

I made this for four chickens for a pot luck tonight. I separated each into breast/thigh/drum/wing before marinating cooking. Wasn't too fastidious either about patting off the marinade and also had a few less jalapenos than called for and subbed dry basil for fresh. Results were spectacular. Absolutely spectacular. And did I mention spectacular?

My substitute for cilantro is parsley AND some other flavorful herb (my choices are mint, basil, or lemon thyme, depending on the dish) chopped together. Parsley alone is not enough (dull flavor), but chopping parsley in equal portions with a bright herb does the trick for me. For those who insist (with a superior air) that if I just kept eating cilantro i will learn to love it, I gladly will do so when you commit to eating a bar of soap until you "learn to love" it.

Didn't marinate for 12 hours because my boyfriend and I don't live together. I was cooking this at his place and wasn't going to show up in the morning to set up. We've been dating for almost three years, so we have talked about moving in together, but he wants to live in Brooklyn Heights and that's too far from work for me. Say what you want, but I also enjoy having my own space. Subbed honey with agave nectar because I'm a Millennial. Will be making again!

CFXK is correct. By some genetic mischance, a few people experience the taste of cilantro as soapy. Sometimes intensely soapy. Don't goad cilantro haters to "learn to love it" unless you are prepared to reprogram their DNA. As to Theabroma's (did you mean Theobroma as in Theobroma cacao?) condescending observation that parsley is no substitute for cilantro, know that there is no herb with substantial similarity to the flavor of cilantro. Just pick one that you like.

Used sriracha and chilli powder to replace the aji Amarion paste and aji panca paste. Other than that, followed the recipe as it is. The chicken tasted fantastic, Very moist and well seasoned. Made the sauce Saturday night and thought it tasted mediocre. Sunday night took the sauce out, a miracle must have occurred overnight, it tasted brilliant- super creamy and full of flavor. But will cut the ingredients in half to make the sauce. The recipe yields about 4 cups sauce, too much for a 3.5 bird

For those of us who can't eat cilantro, what would you suggest as a substitute ingredient or sauce?

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! I'm such a late bloomer. I'm 72 and just discovered cilantro 2 years ago when a clerk in the Asian Market told me it was Chinese Parsley. Trust me, it ain't parsley. It is unique. It is one of a kind. I now put it in everything. Even salads, any beans I do, and my son told me to try it on ice cream, I might like it.

I live in Argentina and once met a Peruvian lady that told me that for the marinade she used Coca Cola as part of the ingredients.

When I make Peruvian chicken, I make Ají de Huacatay for dipping. Ají de Huacatay (Peruvian green spicy sauce) 1 hot chile pepper (Peruvian aji amarillo) 1 rocoto pepper 1/4 cup plain peanuts 1 cup of Huacatay leaves (fresh or frozen. If you use paste, adjust salt and vinegar to taste) neutral oil (canola, corn, sunflower, etc.) 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup mexican cheese or mild feta 2 or 3 crackers (saltines or oyster crackers) splash vinegar salt and pepper to taste

I had this dish at many restaurants while living in Peru. Never once had “heat” in the sauce. If aji was used, it must have been very subtle. Cheese used was called “fresh cheese,” something akin to farmers cheese or Mexican queso fresco. We often saw the sauce atop gorgeous filets of sea bass as well. Heavenly!

Absolutely do NOT wipe the marinade off before putting the chicken in the oven. If fact, I drizzle any marinade still in the bowl over the chicken so as not to lose any of that wonderful flavor. And I marinade the chicken for at least 24 hours. Why go to the trouble of making this delicious dish and do something to REDUCE the flavor? We make this at least twice a month - our favorite.

Big hit at my house. I did heed some suggestions from previous notes. I didn’t have access to the more exotic powders but did use shiracha and ancho chili powder as substitutes. Also, I heeded suggestion to make sauce without the feta, oregano, honey, but did add a bit of yogurt. I baked with 3 lbs thighs and added sweet potato rounds while cooking (I allowed them a dunk In the marinade after placing chicken in pan). This is a do-again, and again

How on earth do you get 4 cups of sauce from that list of ingredients?

Nope, same botanical family, but parsely is emphatically not a substitute for cilantro. Period.