If you are the owner of an outdoor grill, what a fast and delightful way to make dinner on a weeknight.

GARLIC CHICKEN WITH GUASACACA
By Yewande Komolafe

Versatile in use and complex in flavor, guasacaca sauce is one of the condiments of Venezuelan cuisine. Here, it accompanies a sheet-pan dinner of roasted chicken and carrots but will do just as well with anything from the grill.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 2 1/2-3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, breasts or a combination, patted dry
• 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 1 cup chopped parsley leaves with tender stems
• 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves with tender stems

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup oil and grate in 2 garlic cloves using a zester. Add carrots and toss to coat. Lightly season with salt and black pepper and transfer to a sheet pan, reserving the garlic oil in the bowl.

Add the chicken to the bowl and coat with the remaining garlic oil. Arrange in a single layer on the sheet pan skin-side up between the carrots.

Roast until carrots are tender, and chicken is cooked through with crispy skin that’s browned in spots, 35-40 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, in a food processor or blender or using a mortar and pestle, combine the avocado, jalapeño, vinegar, lime zest and juice, remaining garlic clove, half the chopped parsley and cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Purée or pound into a coarse mixture. With the machine running or while mixing with a pestle in a mortar, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 tablespoon room temperature water.

Purée or stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt if necessary.

The sauce can be made a few hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup each parsley and cilantro over the chicken and carrots.

Transfer to individual plates along with any pan juices. Spoon a few tablespoons of the guasacaca sauce on the side for dipping.

Serve warm with additional sauce on the side.

Total time: 45 minutes; serves 4.