Pollo a la brasa

Pollo a la brasa is a whole chicken, marinated and spit-roasted over charcoal, served as a main dish in Peru. It is the country's best-known rotisserie chicken and is sold in dedicated shops across the country.

What it really is

Pollo a la brasa is built on a dry marinade of garlic, cumin, dark soy sauce, salt and black pepper, with vinegar or lime juice and sometimes a little sugar or oil. The seasoning is rubbed inside and out, the bird is left to take it on, and then it is skewered on a vertical or horizontal spit and turned over a charcoal fire. The skin crisps and darkens while the meat stays moist, and the drippings are often collected to make a sauce.

It is most often confused with ordinary rotisserie chicken, which is usually seasoned with salt, herbs or paprika. The Peruvian version is recognised by its dark, cumin-heavy seasoning and its charcoal flavour. The sauce served with it is a separate item and varies by shop.

How it's served

• Served as a half or quarter chicken with chips (fries) and a simple green salad.
• Usually accompanied by a salsa of aji amarillo or a creamy green sauce made with aji and mayonnaise.
• Eaten with the hands or with a knife and fork, the skin being the most valued part.
• Often sold as a takeaway meal and eaten at home, with a bread roll on the side.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the dish as pollo a la brasa, a whole or half chicken spit-roasted with a garlic and cumin marinade, so guests know it is not ordinary rotisserie chicken.
• Note that the marinade contains soy sauce, which means wheat and soy are present.
• State the sauce served with it, such as aji verde or aji amarillo, and whether it contains egg or milk in its mayonnaise base.
• Specify the portion size (quarter, half or whole chicken) and the side dishes included, usually chips and salad.