Peruvian Ají Sauce

[Dewesq55]

This is the thick, hot light green sauce usually served with Pollo a la Brasa:

Ingredients:
- 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, torn into pieces
- 5-10 pickled green Tabasco chilies (they are small and pale, almost white, in color) They are sold by Goya and also Texas Pete's. You can substitute 2 jalapeños with seeds.
- 2 Tbsp Peruvian yellow ajÃÂ paste (optional)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- ~½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
-5 green onions (scallions)
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro leaves(try to avoid the stems) or 2 tbsp huacatay paste if you can find it - it's much more authentic.
- 1 tsp salt (start with 1/2 tsp and add more if needed)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 whole garlic cloves, chopped, or 1 tsp garlic powder
-Juice of 1/2 lime

How to make it:
Put all ingredients except the olive oil into a blender put food processor. Blend/process until ingredients are completely pureed and well blended. Any dark green specks should be as fine as possible. With the blender our processor running, drizzle in olive oil in a very thin stream until the volume increases and the color is very uniform. Squeeze in the liner juice and store to mix. Cover and refrigerate before using.

[smarkley]

Whew! Those ingredients are non existent where I live. Sounds like great stuff though.

On a side note, one year I grew some Aji peppers that plant was crazy and it REALLY liked our climate... very prolific (almost like a weed!) and different than most pepper plants we are familiar with.

[Dewesq55]

Steve:

You can make it with just these ingredients:
Ingredients:
1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, torn into pieces
2 jalapeños with seeds.
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Extra virgin olive oil
5 green onions (scallions)
1/2 bunch of cilantro leaves(try to avoid the stems)
1 tsp salt (start with 1/2 tsp and add more if needed)
1 tsp black pepper
2 whole garlic cloves, chopped, or 1 tsp garlic powder

The Peruvian ingredients can be bought in Amazon. The picked pale peppers are sold by both Goya and Texas Pete's. But you don't need any of them.

[smarkley]

Thanks Dew!

[Huskee]

DEW are you sure you're a barrister and not a chef? Wheeewy man, good looking recipe!

[Dewesq55]

Thanks for that, Huskee. For several years, my office was, literally, across the street from a hole-in-the-wall Peruvian rotisserie chicken restaurant called Pio Pio. Pollo a la Brasa, with various sides, was the only thing on the menu. We used to get lunch from there several times a week. The "green sauce" was so addicting, I went on a mission to learn or figure out how to replicate, or at least approximate, it. This is what I've come up with.

[OneCharmingPig]

Just made this (sans paste unfortunately) to go along with the pollo a la brasa recipe you posted. Outstanding stuff, thanks a lot. Question about the sauce though. How long will it keep in the fridge?

[Dewesq55]

I'm really glad you like it. To answer your question, from experience it will last about a week or 10 days covered and refrigerated.

[fzxdoc]

Dew, is this sauce burn-your-mouth-off hot or is there just a nice mellow spicy feeling in your mouth when you eat it?

Also, how hot (spicy) is the chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) by itself? I love hot spicy food but my DH can only take a little heat in his food. I'm trying to strike a balance.

I ordered the sazon con culantry y achiote, the yellow aji paste, and the huacatay paste from Amazon last week. It should be here any day now.

And finally, did you smoke the marinated chicken or just rotisserie it on the gasser without smoke?

Thanks in advance,

Kathryn

[Dewesq55]

Kathryn:

The chicken is not hot/spicy at all, just has a nice hispanic flavor. The sauce should be pretty hot - you only need to dab it (it's a dipping sauce, not a slather it on and cook with it sauce), but you quickly adjust to it. It's practically addictive. We used to call it "green crack". One of the guys I used to eat at the take out place with used to just put like a tiny drop on with the edge of a knife and spread it so thin you couldn't see it, because he doesn't like things very spicy but couldn't resist the flavor of the "green crack".

I have only rotisseried it on the gasser. I have tried to add a touch of smoke but haven't been very successful. I am thinking about getting an A-MAZE-n smoke tube to use on my gasser when I make this and a couple of other things.

DEW

[fzxdoc]

Thanks, Dew, for that additional info. You've got me so eager to make this chicken!

I'm hoping to give the Amazn Smoke tube a try this weekend with some salmon in my gasser. I hope it works as advertized.

Kathryn

[gboss]

Really curious what the theory is behind the iceberg lettuce in the sauce.
Iceberg is definitely known for its texture over its flavor, yet it's just getting blended in.

What are your thoughts on that?

[bbqLuv]

Please lettuce keep that a secret.

[Dewesq55]

It adds color, texture and volume. At least that's what I think.

[barelfly]

Wow! A blast from the past that is getting added to my sauce folder!