Argentina is renowned for its grilled meats, and that doesn’t mean just beef. Cooks there will open up and flatten a chicken— it looks like a leaping frog—so more surface area can get a smoky char. Her seasonings give a bird amazing flavor.
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2000s Recipes + Menus
“Leaping Frog” Chicken
Serves8 (main course) or 12 (as part of a large meal)
- Active time:1 hr
- Start to finish:1 day (includes marinating)
June 2009
- 2 chickens (about 3 1/2 lb each)
- 16 garlic cloves, smashed
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 6 tablespoons Argentinean ají molido or hot smoked paprika (pimentón picante)
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 lemons, each cut into 6 rounds
Cut chickens:
-
Discard any visible fat from chickens. Rinse chickens and pat dry. Put 1 chicken, breast up, on a cutting board. Pull 1 leg away from body and with a sharp knife cut through skin between leg and breast until you hit joint (do not cut through joint). With your fingers behind joint, bend leg back until joint pops. Repeat with other leg. With kitchen shears, cut through rib bones (starting from thigh) on both sides of breast up to, but not through, shoulder joints. Open chicken, skin side up. Press on breastbone to crack and flatten with heel of your hand. Repeat with second chicken.
Marinate chickens:
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Purée garlic with 1/4 cup oil, paprika, oregano, cumin, allspice, 2 Tbsp salt (preferably fine sea salt), and 2 tsp pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth.
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Stir together 1 Tbsp marinade and remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a small bowl and reserve, chilled, for basting.
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Put chickens in a large 4-sided sheet pan. Using a few lemon slices as spreaders, rub some of marinade all over chickens, then stuff lemon slices with remaining marinade under skin of breasts and thighs. Marinate, chilled, at least 8 hours (and up to 12).
Grill chickens:
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Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see “Grilling Procedure.”
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Oil grill rack, then grill chickens directly over coals, turning once (more if flare-ups occur), until browned, about 5 minutes total. Move chickens to area of grill with no coals underneath (for gas, turn off 2 burners if necessary and turn remaining burner on high) and grill, covered, turning occasionally and basting with reserved marinade mixture, until chickens are cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes (do not baste during last 5 minutes; discard any leftover basting sauce). Add more charcoal as necessary. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.
Cooks’ note:
- Chickens can be roasted in two 4-sided sheet pans in upper and lower thirds of a 500°F oven, switching position of pans halfway through, about 45 minutes total.
- Keywords
- latino,
- poultry,
- grilling,
- gourmet entertains,
- maricel presilla
Fiesta Forever
When Maricel Presilla, a restaurateur and major authority on Latin cooking, throws a party, she thinks big. Really big. And since she believes that ‘el barbecue’ can be a key to a culture, we couldn’t pass up the chance to spend a day in her world, with her food. You’re invited, too.
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