Name: Peruvian Roast Chicken with Garlic and Lime, and Spicy Mayonnaise
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Peru
Ingredients: 40 g extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves; 2 tbsp kosher salt; 6 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp ground black pepper; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 13 g sugar; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 2 tsp dried oregano; 2 tsp finely grated lime zest; 60 ml lime juice (from 2 limes); 1 tsp minced habanero (or 1 tbsp minced serrano); wear gloves; 1 whole chicken, 1.6–1.8 kg (3½ to 4 lb); 1 large egg (or ¼ cup egg substitute); 30 g water; 1 tbsp minced onion; 15 g lime juice, for the mayonnaise; 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro; 1 tbsp minced canned pickled jalapeño; 1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1 tsp); 1 tsp yellow mustard; ½ tsp kosher salt, for the mayonnaise; 240 ml vegetable oil

Method

Chicken

Paste. Blend the extra-virgin olive oil (40 g3 tbsp), fresh mint leaves (¼ cup), kosher salt (2 tbsp), garlic cloves (6), ground black pepper (1 tbsp), ground cumin (1 tbsp), sugar (13 g1 tbsp), smoked paprika (2 tsp), dried oregano (2 tsp), lime zest (2 tsp), lime juice (60 ml¼ cup) and minced habanero (1 tsp) until smooth, 10 to 20 seconds.
Marinate. Loosen the skin over the breast and thighs of the whole chicken (1) with your fingers or a wooden spoon handle, and pull off any excess fat. Rub half the paste under the skin, directly on the meat, and spread the rest over the outside. Tuck the wingtips under. Put the chicken in a gallon zipper-lock bag and refrigerate 6 to 24 hours.
Low roast. Put a rack in the lowest position and heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Set a vertical roaster on a rimmed baking sheet and slide the chicken onto it so it stands upright. Roast until the skin just starts to turn golden and the thickest part of the breast reads 140°F (60°C), 45 to 55 minutes. Take the chicken and pan out and raise the oven to 500°F (260°C).
High roast. Once the oven is at 500°F (260°C), pour 1 cup (240 ml) water into the pan and return it to the oven. Roast until the skin is browned and crisp all over, the breast reads 160°F (71°C) and the thigh 175°F (79°C), about 20 minutes, turning the bird 180 degrees halfway through. Add water as needed so the pan doesn't smoke.
Rest. Let it rest, still on the roaster, 20 minutes. Lift it off with a kitchen towel, carve, and serve with the spicy mayonnaise.

Spicy mayonnaise

In a food processor, pulse the large egg (1), water (30 g2 tbsp), minced onion (1 tbsp), lime juice (15 g1 tbsp), minced fresh cilantro (1 tbsp), minced canned pickled jalapeño (1 tbsp), garlic clove (1), yellow mustard (1 tsp) and kosher salt (½ tsp) until finely chopped, about 5 seconds.
With the machine running, drizzle in the vegetable oil (240 ml1 cup) in a slow, steady stream until it's the consistency of mayonnaise, scraping down as needed. It's meant to be a little thinner than regular mayonnaise, for dunking.

Notes

No vertical roaster. Use a 12-ounce (355 ml) can of beer, half emptied and sprayed with nonstick spray, as the stand.
Dark top. If the top of the chicken darkens too much at 500°F (260°C), lay a 7-inch (18 cm) square of foil over the neck and wingtips.
Stand-ins. The smoked paprika stands in for the smokiness of a Peruvian rotisserie; the pickled jalapeño stands in for ají peppers in the sauce.
Raw egg. The mayonnaise uses a raw egg; use the egg substitute if that's a concern.