Wine With…Peruvian Chicken

Wine With Peruvian Chicken

by Paul Lukacs and Marguerite Thomas    

The closest we’ve come to eating authentic Peruvian chicken is probably the delicious dish a couple of Peruvian women make at the farmers’ market we go to in downtown Baltimore, but language barriers stand between us and decoding their recipe.  Hoping for enlightenment on the matter, we turned to the Internet where we discovered as many versions of Peruvian Chicken as there are stars in the Milky Way.  A few common ingredients linking most of them together are cumin, garlic, paprika, an acidic component such as lemon or lime juice or vinegar, and usually oregano.  After that it seems to be anybody’s fantasy, including such seemingly far-fetched ingredients as evaporated milk, Coca-Cola, and soy sauce.  We cherry-picked through several of the recipes, taking ingredients that appealed to us the most, and eventually we came up with our own version of Peruvian Chicken.  We eschewed milk and Coke, but did decide to go with the soy sauce.  We also did not make the wonderful mustardy mayonnaise that traditionally accompanies Peruvian Chicken, figuring that we had enough disparate flavor components to deal with as it was.  The result was absolutely delicious — a dish we plan to make often in the months to come.  What wine will we serve with it?  Ah, therein lies the rub.

We opened six whites, six reds and a rosé.  We were pretty much in agreement in likes and dislikes as far as white wine was concerned: a full bodied Chardonnay with fruity overtones and a hint of spice was a top choice for both of us, as was a Rhône-styled blend with a similarly full body and herbal/ spicy undercurrent.   Lighter, thinner whites (a Pinot Blanc and a Sauvignon Blanc, for example) simply couldn’t stand their own ground against the rich spiciness of the chicken.  The rosé bombed altogether, having neither the weight nor complexity for the dish. 

When it came to reds, though, our usual accord vanished, and phrases such as ‘You like that horrible wine?!’ rang out across the table.  We both agreed that the Zinfandel in our lineup-a hefty wine, to be sure, but modest for a Zin-was a good match, and we agreed too that the Pinot Noir we’d selected was too feeble for the chicken.  One of us loved the Spanish contender, the other fought for the Merlot.  When we finally reached an agreement, the common components shared by all the wines were medium to full body to balance the richness of the dish, and at least a modicum of fruity sweetness to compete with its complex spices.  But even with this treaty concluded, one of us continued to proclaim that white wine was best with the dish while the other insisted that red was far superior.  Happily, there was plenty of both for us to enjoy with the rest of the meal.

Peruvian Chicken Thighs

Serves 2-4

8-10 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

1/4 cup soy sauce

¼ cup fresh lime juice

3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 quarter cup minced cilantro (or parsley)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Put the chicken thighs in a large, sealable plastic bag.  In a blender jar, place the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, cilantro and olive oil, and whizz the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.  Add the marinade to the chicken, seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.  Pat the chicken dry and cook over indirect hear on a hot gas or charcoal grill, covered, turning once, until cooked through.  Alternatively, arrange chicken pieces in a single layer, skin side up, in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 for about 35-45 minutes.

Selection

Approx. Price

Comments

Casa de las Especias, Yecla (Spain) Joven 2006

(Imported by De Maison Selections)

  $13

A blend of Mourvédre (Monastrell), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, this young, fruity red had enough weight to complement the char and spice, but not so much as to overwhelm the delicate meat.  Its mineral-tinged secondary notes definitely enhanced the pairing.      

Famiglia Bianchi, San Rafael (Mendoza, Argentina) Chardonnay 2006

(Imported by Quintessential LLC)

 $18

Fresh and lively, with summer (peach and apricot) and tropical (mango) fruit flavors, this well-balanced Chardonnay more than held its own with the chicken.  Because it tastes so lively itself, it made the dish seem lighter and fresher than any of the other wines did.

Macchia, Lodi (California) Zinfandel ‘Old Vine Mischievous’ 2005

 $18

A medium weight but very ripe Zin, this wine’s bright raspberry flavors almost jumped out of the glass.  Its impression of sweetness proved very agreeable when paired with the chicken. 

St. Clement, Napa Valley (California) Merlot 2004

  $28

A youthful and quite ripe Merlot, this unabashed Californian tastes opulent, with bright cherry fruit flavors and more than a hint of vanilla-scented oak.  Much as with the Zinfandel, the dominant sweet fruit flavors are what made it work well with this dish.

Tablas Creek, Paso Robles (California) Côtes de Tablas Blanc 2006

 $22

A blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussanne, this fairly full-bodied white offers peachy fruit flavors enhanced by fresh herbal undertones.  Its lush texture seemed just right with the grilled chicken.