About this dish
A rich, creamy stew of shredded chicken in a sauce of ají amarillo chilli, bread, walnuts, cheese and evaporated milk — golden yellow from the chilli. One of Lima's most beloved home-cooked dishes. The combination of chilli heat, walnut richness and creaminess is quintessentially Peruvian.
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Ingredients
🍗Chicken thighs or breast, 800g bone-in
🌶️Ají amarillo paste, 4 tablespoons (or 4 fresh ají amarillo chillies, deseeded)
🍞White bread, 4 slices, crusts removed
🥛Evaporated milk, 1 can (410ml)
🧀Parmesan or fresh cheese (queso fresco), 60g grated
🌰Walnuts, 80g, roughly chopped
🧅White onion, 1 large, finely chopped
🧄Garlic cloves, 3, minced
🫒Vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons
🥚Hard-boiled eggs, 2, halved, to serve
Method
Serves 41
Place the chicken in a pot, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and simmer for 25–30 minutes until cooked through. Remove the chicken, let it cool slightly, then shred the meat with two forks. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking stock.2
While the chicken cooks, tear the bread into chunks and soak it in the evaporated milk for 5 minutes until soft. Transfer the soaked bread and milk to a blender, add the walnuts and grated cheese, and blend until you have a smooth, thick cream.3
Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and ají amarillo paste and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and deep golden.4
Pour the blended bread-and-walnut cream into the pan with the onion mixture and stir well to combine. Let it cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking — the sauce will turn a gorgeous golden yellow.5
Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir to coat everything well. Pour in enough reserved chicken stock (roughly ½ cup) to loosen the sauce to a thick, creamy consistency, then season generously with salt and pepper.6
Serve the ají de gallina over white rice, topped with halved hard-boiled eggs and a few extra walnut pieces. Garnish with a drizzle of ají amarillo paste or a few black olives if you like.User Reviews
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