Adobo Chicken with Huacatay Salsa Verde
- Details
As spice merchants, it’s not every day we get to try a flavor wholly new. Many of our wares have been circling the globe since the age of discovery and while we never tire of new recipes and combinations, a new singular flavor is rare. Enter Huacatay. Notoriously hard to find in North America, we were thrilled to source this South American herb, organically grown on a small farm right here in the states. Also known as black mint, the flavor is smooth and mild, grassy, floral and modestly minty.
For our first date with Huacatay, we chose to go traditional with a green salsa verde on Adobo chicken. The recipe did not disappoint! It’s an easy sheet pan supper with unique flavor pairings. For the salsa, we began by sweating down the vegetables to bloom the flavors, and then puréed them with huacatay and fruity Aji Mirasol. chiles, another South American signature flavor. The combination with the huacatay was spot on with both flavors there to appreciate without either dominating.
The Adobo chicken and zucchini made a receptive canvas for the salsa, and the simplicity and even cooking of a spatchcocked bird made it an easy win. Adobo is a classic all purpose Latin seasoning with onion, garlic, cumin, orange, pepper and oregano. We added zucchini to the sheet pan midway through the cooking time and it soaked up the flavors of both the Adobo in the pan and the salsa on the plate. We look forward to trying the salsa verde on potatoes and ceviche too. Welcome to the pantry, Huacatay!
Adobo Chicken with Huacatay Salsa Verde
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 5 lb whole chicken spatchcocked*
- 2 tablespoons Adobo
- 1 large zucchini, cut in 1 inch half-moons
For the Huacatay Salsa Verde
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons huacatay
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 aji mirasol, de-stemmed and chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Garnish
- Extra Cilantro
- Fresh Lime
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Loosen the skin of the chicken from the meat and rub the Adobo in between, and on both sides of the chicken. Reserve 1 teaspoon of Adobo for the zucchini. Place the seasoned spatchcocked bird on a bare sheet pan and roast in the middle rack of your oven.
- After 1 hour, add the zucchini half-moons to the sheet pan with the chicken. Sprinkle additional Adobo on zucchini and give the zucchini a quick stir in the chicken drippings using tongs. As the zucchini cooks, it will absorb the chicken dripping and become more flavorful.
- Roast the chicken until the temperature at the deepest part of the breast registers 170° degrees, about 45 minutes more.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 15 - 20 minutes before serving. Liberally drizzle finished Huacatay Salsa Verde over the chicken and zucchini.
For the Huacatay Salsa Verde
- While the chicken is roasting, make the Huacatay Salsa Verde.
- Combine the huacatay and chopped aji mirasol in a small bowl and cover them with 1 cup of warm water. This will bloom the huacatay flavors and soften the aji for easy blending. Don't discard the excess water. The water will be infused with flavor and help the salsa puree better.
- In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic. Sauté until tender, but not browned - about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables, so as to preserve the bright green color and fresh flavor.
- After the sautéed vegetables are ready and the huacatay and aji mixture is reconstituted, add them to a blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until smooth. Add the lime juice, mayonnaise, cilantro and salt to the sauce and blend for another 10 seconds. Serve salsa warm with the chicken or refrigerate and use as a dip for potatoes.
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Do you mean green bell pepper?
Yes, the only fresh peppers used in the salsa are the green bell pepper and jalapeno pepper.