This recipe was inspired by a desire to combine a classic gaucho marinade from the Pampas of Argentina with a plump chicken. I first used grill master Steven Raichlens' chimichurri recipe from his magnum opus, The Barbecue Bible, on a rack of ribs, with heavenly results. I added a habanero pepper here because its slightly fruity spiciness perfectly contrasts with the traditonal chimichurri's heady notes of tangy citrus and oily, musky cilantro. And the final touch to this recipe, an exquisite gravy, will have your palate ready to book the next flight to Buenos Aires!
Ingredients:
1 4-5 pound whole roast chicken, giblets removed
2 pounds small red potatoes
Spicy Chimichurri Marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper, stemmed and finely chopped
To Make:
Begin by placing chicken in a large roasting pan and arrange potatoes around the chicken. Next, make the spicy chimichurri marinade by first combining olive oil and lemon juice, and whisk to combine thoroughly. Next, toss in cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper, parsley, and habanero pepper, and stir thoroughly to combine. Pour marinade over chicken and potatoes, using your hands to spread marinade into each and every crevice of the bird. Cover roasting pan and place in refrigerator. Let marinate for four hours.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. When oven is ready, place roasting pan on the center rack, uncovered, and let cook until skin begins to turn golden brown and chimichurri marinade is slightly crispy, about ten minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees, cover pan, and cook for about 1 hour and 45 minutes more, until thickest part of the thigh reaches 175 to 180 degrees F. Remove roasting pan from oven and, using a thick pair of tongs, lift chicken out of the pan and place on a carving board. Scoop out potatoes using a slotted spoon. Turn oven off. Now it's time to make the gravy!
Heat a large burner on medium heat, and place roasting pan on top after a couple of minutes. Using a whisk, stir together chicken juices and chimichurri marinade inside the pan, and smooth out any chunks of skin so that the mixture becomes a thick liquid mass. Add 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water, and stir constantly on medium heat for about ten minutes more, until gravy is fairly thick and free of lumps.
Carve chicken into appropriate portions, serve with potatoes on a large platter, and pour gravy over all. Buen provecho!
Serves 5-6 as a main course. Add steamed broccoli or green peas to make a completely balanced meal. A good Argentinean wine, such as Finca Las Moras Malbec 2005, would be an ideal beverage pairing with this sumptuous feast. Alternatively, as a post banquet lifter-upper, serve yerba mate, a highly caffeinated grass that is native to the bottom third of South America and will guarantee a very different kind of buzz.
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