Red chile grilled chicken with grilled potatoes

Optional brine: stir a quarter cup of table salt into a quart of water until dissolved; add two bone-in, skin-on breast halves and four thighs and brine an hour.

Blanch the garlic: one minute in the microwave in a small dish covered with water, to tame its strong flavour.

In a food processor put the ground ancho chili and two thirds of a cup of very hot water; pulse to moisten.

Variation: instead of the adobo, blend canned chipotles with an equal amount of honey, grill the chicken with just salt and pepper, and brush the chipotle-honey on as the final glaze.

Add the four blanched garlic cloves, fished out with a spoon.

Grind a little whole cumin and Mexican oregano in a mortar and add with a touch of ground cinnamon and ground black pepper.

Add a scant teaspoon of salt and a couple of tablespoons of vinegar; blend until as smooth as possible and almost pasty. Extra keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.

After an hour, take the chicken out of the brine and pat dry on paper towels so it does not dilute the marinade.

Put half the adobo in a bowl and reserve the other half for the glaze; coat the chicken lightly in the adobo.

Toss the potatoes with oil and salt, add a few tablespoons of water around the bowl, cover and microwave 5 minutes for a head start.

Spray the chicken skin with oil. Build a two-tier fire with all the coals on one side.

Grill skin side down over the hot side, covered, at around 400 degrees, about 10 minutes, until browned with grill marks.

Toss the potatoes with a little of the marinade and put them in a perforated grill pan at the back; flip the chicken, freeing any sticking pieces slowly, and move everything to the cool side.

Cover and let it coast about 15 minutes on the cool side.

Glaze: mix the remaining adobo with a couple of tablespoons of honey and about a tablespoon of oil.

The grill has coasted at about 375 after starting at 400; about 10 minutes before the chicken is done, pat the glaze all over the top.

Continue 5 to 7 minutes, until the thickest part is close to 160 degrees on a digital thermometer and the glaze is set.

Cut the breast halves in half and arrange on a platter with the thighs; tip the potatoes on and garnish them with grated queso anejo and cilantro leaves.