Stoke up the grill and say 'I love you'

If you live for the grill, this meal is for you. The Peruvian marinade of soy sauce, lime juice and garlic offers deep flavors. If it's too cold to grill where you live, the chicken also can be roasted indoors.

And whether you grill or roast, toss some vegetables in for easy sides. New potatoes, asparagus, quartered red onions and chunks of butternut squash are delicious tossed with oil, salt, pepper and herbs, then roasted or grilled.

PERUVIAN GRILLED CHICKEN

Start to finish: 10 hours (50 minutes active)

Servings: 2 to 4

1⁄3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

5 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 whole chicken (about 31⁄2 pounds), quartered

Lime wedges, for serving

In a blender, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, oil and black pepper. Blend until smooth.

Place the chicken in a large zip-close plastic bag. Add the marinade, then seal the bag and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, heat a gas grill on high. Drain and discard the marinade, then use paper towels to pat dry the chicken. Reduce grill heat to medium-high on one side and turn off the burner on the other side.

Lightly oil the grill rack over the burner that was turned off. Place the chicken on the cool side, skin side down, and grill, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken and grill for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Alternatively, the chicken can be roasted indoors. Heat the oven to 500 F.

Place 1 cup of water in a 13-by-9-inch roasting pan. Add the chicken, skin side up, and roast for 30 minutes. Cover the pan with foil and roast for another 15 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

Recipe from the Sept. 2007 issue of Gourmet magazine