Golden Peruvian roasted chicken with a brilliant green spicy sauce

This reader-favorite roast chicken is as photogenic as it is delicious.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 5, 2024 Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Golden Peruvian roasted chicken with a brilliant spicy sauce By Melissa Clark Pollo a la brasa — golden, garlicky chicken roasted on a spit — is a staple across Latin America. To those of us up north, the best known bird is the Peruvian version: crisp-skinned and tender-fleshed, often accompanied by a bright green cilantro-chile sauce. You don't need a spit to make my oven-based recipe. You get a similar char by cutting the bird in half and roasting it in high heat, though spatchcock enthusiasts can spatch away. The real jewel of this dish is the glossy, spicy cilantro sauce, with its sweet-salty combination of honey and feta. Make it for the chicken, and then save the leftovers to slather on almost anything that needs an herby boost. Featured Recipe Peruvian Roasted Chicken With Spicy Cilantro Sauce View Recipe → For a meatless recipe that needs no such boost, we have Hetty Lui McKinnon's crispy sheet pan noodles with glazed tofu. It's absolutely packed with flavor from its marinade of hoisin, garlic and soy sauce. And the roasted ramen noodles — crunchy on top and soft on the bottom — make a wonderful textural contrast to the bouncy, savory tofu. If you've got an itch for fish, Lidey Heuck's baked salmon might be the easiest way to scratch it. She sprinkles salmon fillets with a brown-sugar-sweetened spice rub perked up with garlic powder and paprika. Swap the spices to suit your taste, but do keep the brown sugar, which melts and caramelizes, endowing the fish with a gorgeous, burnished crust. Ali Slagle's one-pot broccoli mac and cheese is as fast as opening a box but so much fresher and better tasting, as it's made with grated sharp Cheddar and life-enhancing vegetables. For something vegan, her citrusy lentil and sweet potato soup is both earthy and bright. It's exceptionally colorful thanks to a topping of red and yellow chard stems tossed with lemon juice and jalapeños for a kick. Dessert-wise, the new menu from the ever-elegant David Tanis culminates with some fantastic cookies. And I do mean fantastic: his cardamom-scented pistachio almond cookies are chewy, nutty delights that also happen to be gluten-free. I've already bookmarked them for Passover. Is it too early to start getting ready for spring? What do you think? Let me know at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. And as always, you'll want to subscribe to read all these amazing recipes and so many more (approximately tens of thousands more). If you need any technical help, the thoughtful people at cookingcare@nytimes.com are there for you. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Crispy Sheet-Pan Noodles With Glazed Tofu By Hetty Lui McKinnon 35 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Baked Salmon By Lidey Heuck 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese By Ali Slagle 25 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Citrusy Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup By Ali Slagle 30 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Pistachio-Almond Cookies By David Tanis 45 minutes, plus cooling time Makes 3 dozen cookies Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018