Amazing Whole Peruvian Chicken with Yams

The whole dish is amazing, and it is completed with the most delicious marinade. I swear I could drink this whole marinade by itself; however, then there wouldn't be enough for the chicken. It would be a serious problem to not have enough of marinade!

Why I like this recipe:

• All the seasoning is mixed in the blender, which makes it amazing and eliminates any chopping.
• All the vegetables and chicken are made in on pot, so when you pull the chicken out of the oven, everything is ready! 
• You can make the marinade and get the chicken in the fridge the night before or before you head out to work. The chicken will be ready to be cooked when you get home!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp grated lime
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp habanero
• 1 whole chicken, approximately 4lbs
• 2 lbs yams, peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds

Process the mint, 1 tablespoon of oil, cumin, honey, paprika, oregano, lime zest and juice, 1 tablespoon pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and habanero in the blender. It should be smooth and creamy looking, approximately 10 - 20 seconds. 

Take the marinade and carefully dress it under the skin. Work around the chicken getting the marinade under the skin. Then place the chicken into a ziplock bag, and add the remaining amount of marinade into the bag over the exterior of the chicken. Place in the refrigerator for 6 -24 hours. 

Once ready to cook, put the oven rack to the lowest position and preheat to 400 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil into a 12 inch ovensafe skillet and heat over medium until shimmering. Toss the yams with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and arrange flat side down on the skillet. Let the yams cook until well browned on the bottom, approximately 6 - 10 minutes. 

Place the chicken on top of the yams, breast side up and place in the oven. Roast the chicken for an hour and a half, and the chicken should be fully cooked (breast 160 degrees, thighs 175 degrees). Remove from the oven, and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.