Go Back
–+ servings

Ají de Gallina (Peruvian Chilli Chicken)

Ají de gallina is really a delicious meal, with its onion, chillies and thickened with bread soaked in stock. It's perfect with rice, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives and a bit of chopepd pecans.
4 from 2 votes
Print Pin
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: peruvian
Keyword: aji amarillo, chicken stew, chilli, peruvian
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Lorena Salinas from Cravings Journal

Ingredients

For the chicken stock

  • 1 large carrot chopped into medium pieces
  • 1 large celery stalk chopped into medium pieces
  • ½ large yellow onion chopped into medium pieces
  • 2 bayleaves
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 bone from chicken breasts
  • 2 l water at room temperature

For the ají de gallina

  • 5 slices of white bread without crust
  • 1 L stock from above
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil for cooking
  • ½ red onion finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove finely grated, blended or minced
  • 4 tbsp yellow chili paste
  • 2 tbsp panca chili paste or 2 tsp ground panca
  • 2 tbsp ají mirasol paste optional
  • 230 ml evaporated milk
  • 20 g freshly grated parmesan cheese

To serve

  • cooked long-grain rice
  • purple olives / Alfonso olives
  • 1 boiled potato per person
  • 1 1 hard-boiled egg per person
  • 2-3 chopped pecans per person
Metric - US Cups

Instructions

For the chicken stock

  • Place everything in a pot on medium-low heat and cook for 30 minutes from the time it breaks to a boil.
  • Control that it doesn't simmer too hard or the chicken will turn tough.
  • Remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat.
  • Pass the stock through a sieve/colander and keep 1 litre/4 cups from it for the ají de gallina.

For the ají de gallina

  • Toast the bread and cut it into cubes.
  • Place the bread along with the stock in a blender and blend. The stock should be hot to soak the bread. 
  • Cook the onion in a pot with vegetable oil over medium heat until it goes translucent, soft and doesn't smell strong anymore.
  • Add the garlic and cook for a minute.
  • Add the chili pastes and wait for it to thicken. You will notice that the paste starts to separate from the oil.
  • Add the bread and stock blend and simmer until the volume has reduced by half. Stir every once in a while because it tends to stick to the bottom.
  • Add the chicken and evaporated milk and stir to thicken once again. Finish with the parmesan cheese and mix.
  • Correct the level of salt and pepper and serve with rice, potatoes, olives, chopped pecans and hard-boiled eggs.
Tried this recipe?Mention @CravingsJournal or tag #RecipeCJ!