Spicy Roast Chicken with Jalapeno Cumin Cilantro Sauce

By Erica Galindo –

Are you looking for ways to save time and yet still cook like a rock star? Do you love stretching one meal into two? Do you like spicy flavor with a little kick? Then you are going to adore this recipe and cherish it as a family favorite!

My husband David loves spicy hot flavors so I created this just for him. But on my journey I discovered that the sauce from this recipe works beautifully with both tender steak stir fry as well as peel-and-eat shrimp! And since life has been super busy lately, nothing makes me happier than cooking like a top chef and stretching one meal into two!

The time saving approach is simple. Make the sauce from the pan drippings from the roasted chicken, then use the sauce in a fusion style stir fry the next night. Say adios to the typical teriyaki and oyster sauce routine – using this sauce will elevate your stir fry experience to a whole new level of sophisticated flavor. What could be better than getting two great meals for half the work?

Spicy Roast Chicken with Jalapeno Cumin Cilantro Sauce

Recipe Type: Main
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 120 mins
Total time: 2 hours 30 mins
Serves: 6-8

The ingredients for this recipe are ample but simple and affordable. When combined together with a slow roasted chicken they create a luscious and delicious sauce. I increased the amounts so that you can make extra sauce and use it the next day for another amazing recipe. This is part of my new series: One Sauce – Two Great Recipes!

Ingredients:

• One 5 lb whole farm raised chicken

Marinade Ingredients:

• 2 jalapeno peppers, cut into thin
• 1 fresno chili pepper, cut in thin strips
• 3 medium sized shallots, sliced
• 38 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed (20 for marinade, 10 inside the cavity when roasting, and 8 for basting sauce)
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, reserve 1/4 cup for sauce and garnish
• 3 limes, 2 juiced, reserve 1 for garnish
• 2 lemons, reserve 1 for garnish
• 2 tbsp ginger, finely grated
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 3 for marinade, 3 for basting sauce
• 3 1/2 tbsp cumin powder; reserve 1/2 tbsp for sauce
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp salt

Additional Sauce Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp Asian Chili Paste (available at most Asian and or specialty food stores)
• 2 tbsp beurre manie (a dough, consisting of equal parts of soft butter and flour, used to thicken soups and sauces)

Instructions:

Place chicken in a stainless steel roasting pan, lightly salt and pepper all over.

In a bowl combine all the 20 cloves of garlic and all the marinade ingredients; mix well.

Reserve 1/2 cup of marinade for the sauce. Use the remaining portion to coat the outside of the chicken, pressing into any opening under the skin.

Place 10 cloves of garlic, and 2 tbsp of marinade inside the cavity. Then add 1/2 lemon with the skin side up, to the opening of the cavity to seal in the flavors.

Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Place chicken in center of preheated 350º oven and cook for approximately 2- 2 1/2 hours or until the skin is golden brown.

Prepare the basting sauce. On medium low, heat 4 tbsp of EVOO, then saute 8 cloves crushed garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tsp cumin. Add 2 tbsp of the remaining marinade, 2 thin slices lemon and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat so the sauce does not evaporate. Baste the chicken all over the top, legs and wings every 30 minutes. If you need more liquid in your basting sauce, add 1-2 tbsp of butter or evoo.

When the chicken is done, remove from pan, cover and keep warm.

Straddle the roasting pan on two stove top burners and turn the heat to medium -low. Add the vegetable stock, 1 tsp of the Asian chili paste, 1/2 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp cilantro and the remaining marinade. Scrape the brown bits on the sides of the pan down into the sauce. Reduce for 10-12 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of Buerre Manie, mix thoroughly.

Strain the sauce through a sieve and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the fat off the top. If needed, reheat on medium for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Slice the chicken and serve with your favorite vegetables. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the chicken and garnish with chopped cilantro and 3 thin slices of alternating lemon and lime.

Reserve all leftovers to create another great recipe using the same delicious sauce! Bon Appetit!

Recipe and Photos by Erica Galindo
Courtesy of Sonoma Christian Home Magazine
http://sonomachristianhome.com/