Achiote Chicken and Roasted Banana Fingerling Potatoes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

Marinade 

1/4 cup Crushed Garlic
3 cups Diced Pineapple (fresh)
3 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
3oz Achiote Paste
3 tsp. Cinnamon
3 tsp. Ground Cumin
3 tsp. Dried Oregano
3 tsp. Paprika
2 tbsp. Kosher Salt
2 tbsp. Black Pepper
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Dish

2 Whole Chickens (giblets removed)
Substitute Whole Bone-In Chickens or Chicken Thighs with Skin if desired.
2 tbsp. Corn Starch
2 lbs. Banana Fingerling Potatoes
4oz Garlic Cloves (whole)
2oz Olive Oil
3 sprigs Rosemary (fresh)
Flavorless Canola Oil to Fry
(Amount Depends on Pot Size, Enough to Cover Sides of Chicken)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Place all 11 Marinade ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth consistency. Set aside.

Split (2) whole chickens in half and remove backbone.

Note – Here is where you can substitute your whole bone-in chickens or chicken thighs with skin if desired.

Pour marinade over chicken to completely cover and leave in refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Then, remove chicken from marinade and allow excess marinade to drip off.

Wash banana fingerling potatoes if needed. Toss in olive oil with whole garlic, salt and pepper. Place in oven-safe baking tray and roast at 350 °F for 30 to 40 minutes (until tender on inside)

Sear chicken, skin side down, in moderately warm pan to brown and crisp skin (Too hot of a pan will burn the sugars in marinade).

Transfer browned chicken to oven-safe tray and bake in oven at 350 °F until internal chicken temperature reaches 165 °F.

Gently fry fresh rosemary in oil for about 10 seconds until rosemary is dry. Remove rosemary from stem and crush using fist. Mix with salt
and pepper.

Gently simmer remaining marinade from chicken in a saucepan. Mix corn starch with a little water. Stir into marinade to until thick sauce consistency.

Remove potatoes from oven and season with the crushed rosemary mix.

Place potatoes on plate.

Split chicken legs from breast and rest on the potatoes. Spoon slightly thickened sauce (made on Step Eight) over chicken.