Peruvian Chicken with a "to-die-for" Aji Sauce

Never have I been anywhere near Peru...however, my little kitchen has been there and back. I always love roasting a chicken, but have grown tired of the typical rosemary rub and side of veggies. Hence, when I discovered the Peruvian art of flavor, I just HAD to try it. They use vinegar in a lot of their recipes which is something I never work with. I was intrigued to try this and it was amazing! The chicken marinates for 12 hours in a beer, vinegar and spice marinade. The meat will literally fall off the bone when you eat it. The chicken is perfectly complimented with an Aji sauce made of fresh jalapeños, cilantro and sour cream. This sauce gets better over time in the fridge and can go on anything your heart desires.

Peruvian Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken
4 oz beer (I used Corona light)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 lime, juice of
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
salt
paprika

Place whole chicken in a large dish and season generously with beer, vinegar, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, cumin and oregano. Cover tightly and marinate overnight.

Remove chicken from bag, cut chicken in half and place both halves on a large oven safe baking dish, skin side up. Discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken with paprika and a little more garlic powder and salt and bake at 425° for about 50 minutes, basting with the pan juices half way through. To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken; the thermometer should read about 160°F. The chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F, but after the chicken is taken out of the oven it should rise to 165°. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving.

Aji Verde Sauce

2-3 jalapeños, seeded
3 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp white vinegar
pinch cumin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve over chicken and a side of cilantro, lime rice.

Traditionally, the sauce is served under the chicken but I poured mine all over the top of it. The flavors are ridiculously wondrous together. Try it, I swear by it!