Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa)

If you haven't had it, Peruvian chicken is one of those hidden gems in the fast food world.  For some reason, we have a ton of different Peruvian chicken restaurants in my town; I'm told it's because we had a lot of Peruvian people come over here from a ministry exchange, and they set up shop all over town.  The history of the dish actually originates with two Swiss-Peruvians who decided to reinvent the rotisserie machine in the 1940s, and this dish took off to the point where it is now one of Peru's national culinary specialties.  The chicken is slow-roasted after being coated with a marinade, usually containing garlic, cumin, and vinegar, but with other ingredients differing somewhat based on where you look.  It is also traditionally served with flavorful spicy sauces such as aji verde, a green chile sauce.

I found this recipe in an old Food Network cookbook, and adapted it with two things in mind - I didn't have a large chicken, and I definitely didn't have a rotisserie.  Instead, I used the same exact recipe with two Cornish game hens, which ended up working out great.  I was amazed that the flavors were so close to those of the restaurant, especially since the cooking method is so different.  Granted, the skin lacked a little of the char flavor and crispy texture that you can't achieve without spinning it over an open flame for a while, but for a homemade version, I'd say this was pretty close for using no special equipment.

A more excellent mix of herbs and seasonings there never was.  Neglect the lime, that's not supposed to be in there.