Read Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans Online
Authors: Michelle Tam,Henry Fong
Tags: #Cookbooks; Food & Wine, #Cooking by Ingredient, #Natural Foods, #Special Diet, #Allergies, #Gluten Free, #Paleo, #Food Allergies, #Gluten-Free, #Healthy
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN + GRAVY
Ever try to prepare a whole chicken in the slow cooker? With most recipes, the bird winds up overcooked, stringy, and dry. Super icky—but not with this recipe. This preparation will yield a moist, tender chicken and a thick, savory gravy. Serve it for supper, and everyone will lick their plates clean. Plus, you’ll finally get to show off that awesome gravy boat that your mom gave you.
By the way, the fish sauce is optional, but trust me: it adds a ton of umami to this dish. Omit it at your peril!
Makes 4 servings | 2 tablespoons ghee or fat of choice |
Hands-on time: 30 minutes | 3 large leeks , white parts only, chopped medium |
Total time: 6 hours | 6 garlic cloves , smashed and peeled |
1 teaspoon tomato paste | |
Kosher salt | |
Freshly ground black pepper | |
½ cup chicken stock | |
1 ( 4 -pound) whole chicken | |
1 tablespoon dried poultry seasoning or dried herb blend of choice | |
1 teaspoon Paleo-friendly fish sauce (optional) |
DO THIS:
CHEW ON THIS:
Waste not, want not: save the chicken bones to make
Bone Broth
!
PERUVIAN ROAST CHICKEN
+ AJI VERDE CHILI SAUCE
Makes
4
servings | Hands-on time:
30
minutes | Total time:
8
hours
My childhood best friend, Evelyn, was born in Peru—but as kids, we were much more interested in the craptacular contents of our school’s vending machines than the South American dishes her mom would make. So it wasn’t until decades later that I finally had a taste of Peruvian-style roast chicken at a San Francisco restaurant. A paste of garlic and spices had been rubbed both under and over the crisp, golden-brown skin of the chicken, giving the tender meat a hint of tartness and smoke. I was hooked.
Making authentic Peruvian chicken at home, however, posed a few challenges. First of all, I don’t have a rotisserie. (My kitchen’s already overflowing with gadgets; one more appliance and my neat-freak husband will keel over.) Secondly, I don’t have easy access to the Peruvian black mint known as
huacatay
—a distinctively flavored Andean herb used to make the luscious green aji verde chili sauce that traditionally accompanies the roast chicken.
But I can never resist a challenge.
The solution to the rotisserie problem was simple: I’d spatchcock the bird before oven-roasting it. Spatchcocking sounds dirty, but it simply means removing the backbone and butterflying the bird to ensure that the breasts and thighs will cook to juicy perfection at the same time.
Finding common ingredients to replace the
huacatay
was tougher, but after some research and taste-testing, I found that a mix of fresh basil, cilantro, and mint produces a remarkably similar perfume and herby notes.
My recipe for homemade Peruvian chicken takes a bit of pre-planning and patience, but it’s a cinch to prepare and yields a juicy and intensely flavorful meal. Paired with the cool, tangy contrast of the aji verde chili sauce, this dish will be one that you’ll want to make—and devour—again and again.
Besides, it sure beats soda and chips from my high school’s vending machines.
GET:
Aji Verde Chili Sauce
2
tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
2
garlic cloves
, minced
3
jalapeño
peppers, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
1
scallion
, roughly chopped
½
cup
Paleo Mayonnaise
⅓
cup fresh
basil
⅓
cup fresh
cilantro
⅓
cup fresh
mint
2
teaspoons fresh
lime juice
1
teaspoon
white vinegar
Peruvian Marinade
4
garlic cloves
, minced
3
tablespoons melted
ghee
or fat of choice
1
tablespoon
kosher salt
1
tablespoon freshly ground
black pepper
1
tablespoon ground
cumin
1
tablespoon
smoked paprika
1
teaspoon dried
oregano
Finely grated zest and juice from
1
small
lime
1
(
4
-pound) whole
chicken
DO THIS: