1. For the marinade, peel and halve five of the cloves of garlic. Peel and gently crush the remaining clove for the glaze.


2. Place the chicken in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold it.


3. Place the garlic halves, two tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a heavy mortar and pound to a paste with a pestle. Work in the soy sauce. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, combine the garlic, sugar, and salt in a small food processor and puree to a paste, then work in the soy sauce. Spoon the marinade over the chicken, coating both sides. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 hour to 4 hours; the longer it marinates, the richer the flavor will be.


4. Meanwhile, make the glaze: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the crushed clove of garlic and cook until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a small heatproof bowl. Add the annatto seeds to the saucepan with the oil and cook until fragrant and browned and the oil turns orange, about 2 minutes. If you are using paprika instead of annatto seeds, cook it for only 15 seconds. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh wire strainer into the bowl with the garlic. Set the glaze aside.


5. Prepare the dipping sauce: Place 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, if using, in 2 small attractive bowls. Have the limes ready; you'll add the lime juice at the last minute.


6. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to medium. Leave one section of the grill bare for a safety zone.


7. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade and arrange it on the hot grate or in an oiled grill basket, if using, skin side down. Grill the chicken until it is golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 20 minutes per side. Move the chicken as needed to dodge any flare-ups. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness. The internal temperature should be about 170°F. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, start brushing the chicken on both sides with the glaze.


8. To serve, transfer the chicken to a platter. Let it rest for about 2 minutes, then cut it into pieces with a cleaver. Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice to each bowl with the salt, pepper, and sugar for the dipping sauce and stir it with a fork or chopsticks until the salt and sugar dissolves. To eat, dip the pieces of chicken in the salted lime juice.

Variation