Name: Ají de Gallina
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 700 g chicken breast (boneless and skinless); 750 ml chicken stock (low-sodium); 100 g white bread (crusts removed and torn into pieces); 240 ml Evaporated milk (divided); 30 ml vegetable oil; 200 g red onion (finely chopped); 3 cloves Garlic (finely grated); 60 g aji amarillo paste; 75 g Walnuts (roughly chopped); 40 g Parmesan cheese (finely grated); 1 tsp ground cumin; 300 g white rice (rinsed); 12 pieces black olives (pitted and halved); 2 pieces Egg (hard-boiled, peeled, and quartered); 1 tsp fine sea salt (or to taste)

How to prepare

Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan with 500 ml of the stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 74°C. Transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve 300 ml of the cooking stock.

While the chicken cooks, soak the bread in 180 ml of the evaporated milk for 5 minutes, until soft. Blend the soaked bread, walnuts, remaining milk, and reserved stock until smooth and pourable.

When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-size strands. Discard the poaching liquid that was not reserved.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and lightly golden. Add the grated garlic, ají amarillo paste, and cumin; sauté for 2 minutes, until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly.

Pour the blended sauce into the pan and stir well, scraping up any browned onion. Bring it to a gentle simmer, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Golden ají de gallina sauce simmering until thick

AI-generated image

Fold in the shredded chicken and Parmesan. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is hot throughout and the sauce is creamy. Taste and adjust the salt; loosen with a splash of stock if needed.

Meanwhile, cook the rinsed rice according to the package method until tender and let it stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Arrange the ají de gallina over the rice and garnish with olives and quartered hard-boiled egg.

Ají de gallina served over rice with olives and hard-boiled egg

AI-generated image

Why this recipe works

Ají amarillo gives the dish its characteristic fruity heat, while soaked bread, milk, walnuts, and Parmesan create a deeply savory sauce with a smooth, spoon-coating texture. The simple garnishes provide essential salt, richness, and contrast.

Storage and reheating

How to store it

Refrigerate the chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store rice and garnishes separately. Freeze the sauce without the rice or garnishes for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

How to reheat it

Reheat the chicken and sauce gently in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of stock if needed, until steaming hot throughout. Reheat rice separately until steaming.