Holiday Latin Table (Festive Meal Spread)

Chicken and sides

• 1 medium Whole chicken
• 5 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 3 Lime
• 300 g Long-grain white rice
• 800 g Canned black beans
• 2 medium Plantain, ripe

Aji verde and salsa

• 120 g Mayonnaise
• 1 Jalapeno pepper
• 30 g Fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
• 4 medium Tomato, ripe
• 1 small Red onion

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Pat the chicken dry and place it in a roasting pan. Stir 2 tbsp of the olive oil with the ground cumin, 2 grated garlic cloves and the zest and juice of 1 lime, then rub it all over the chicken.
2. Roast for 70 to 80 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh. If it browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the final 20 minutes. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before carving.
3. While the chicken roasts, rinse the long-grain white rice until the water runs mostly clear. Cook it in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid using your usual method until tender, then cover and leave to steam off the heat for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
4. Drain and rinse the canned black beans, then warm them in a saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt. Cook on low for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot and glossy. Keep warm with the lid on.
5. Make the aji verde: in a blender, combine the mayonnaise, jalapeno pepper, most of the fresh coriander (reserve a little for serving), white wine vinegar, the juice of 1 lime, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 tbsp olive oil. Blend until smooth and speckled green, then taste and add more lime if you want it brighter. Spoon into a bowl.
6. For the salsa, dice the tomato and finely chop the red onion, then toss with the remaining lime juice and a little of the reserved coriander. Set aside to macerate while you cook the plantain. Keep it juicy rather than dry.
7. Peel the plantain and cut into 1 cm thick slices. Fry in a frying pan with the remaining olive oil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until caramelised and tender. Transfer to a plate and season with a pinch of salt.
8. Carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter with the rice, black beans, plantain and salsa. Serve the aji verde alongside and scatter over the remaining coriander. Let everyone build their plate at the table.

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