Daisy’s Grilled Chicken Express with Aji Verde

Ingredients:

5 lbs chicken legs and thighs (about 20 pieces)

¼ c dry adobo, homemade or store-bought

2 c white or cider vinegar

1. Put the chicken in the largest bowl you have. If all the chicken doesn’t fit very comfortably, season it in batches. Sprinkle the adobo over the chicken and toss well to coat. Pour the vinegar over the chicken and toss well again. Let stand at room temperature for 1 ½ hours or refrigerate for up to overnight. Either way, toss it several times as it marinates
2. Put half of the chicken pieces in a large heatproof bowl that fits in your microwave. Pour half the marinade over the chicken. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and cook at high power for 10 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap—handle the bowl carefully, it will be hot—and move the chicken around so it cooks evenly. Re-cover the bowl and cook until the chicken is almost completely cooked through, about 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining chicken and marinade. Once the chicken is microwaved, it should be cooked within an hour.
3. Heat a gas grill to medium or build a charcoal fire and wait for the coals to be covered with fine gray ash. Cook the chicken, turning it often, until golden, even charred in spots, about 10 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Variation:  Just as you customize your adobo, you can customize the acidic part of this marinade. Use all white or all cider vinegar or mix the two. Or substitute citrus juice—orange, lemon and/or lime—for part or all of the vinegar.

Aji Verde  (ah-HEE VER-de)

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 c coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 c sliced scallions

3 jalapeños coarsely chopped

2 T grated Cotija cheese

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Put the cilantro, scallions, jalapeños, cheese, and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor and processor until very finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Squeeze in the lime juice and then enough water to make a sauce with the consistency of a thick milkshake. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The sauce will keep refrigerated a few days, but bring to room temperature before serving.

This recipe first appeared in DAISY: MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT (Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 2010) and is available for purchase here.

To learn more about Daisy Martinez click here.