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aji de gallina
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Ají de Gallina (Peruvian Chili Chicken)

Course Main Course
Difficulty Low
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 (200g)
  • 1 large celery stalk (200g)
  • 1/2 large yellow onion (200g)
  • 2 bayleaves
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 bone from chicken breasts
  • 3 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
  • 1/2 red onion (150g), finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, grated, blended or minced
  • 2 tbsp yellow chili paste
  • 2 tbsp panca chili paste or 2 tsp ground panca
  • 230 ml evaporated milk (about 1 cup)
  • 20 g freshly grated parmesan cheese

To serve

  • long grain rice
  • purple olives
  • boiled potatoes
  • 1 hard-boiled egg per person

Instructions

For the chicken stock

  1. Pu everything in a pot on medium-low heat and count 1 hour from the time it breaks into a boil.

  2. Control that it doesn't simmer too hard or the chicken will go tough.

  3. Remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat.

  4. Pass the stock through a sieve and keep 1 litre from it for the ají de gallina.

For the ají de gallina

  1. Toast the bread and cut in cubes.

  2. Put the bread along with the stock in a blender and blend. The stock should be hot to dissolve the bread. 

  3. Cook the onion in a pot with vegetable oil on medium heat until it goes translucent, soft and doesn't smell strong anymore.

  4. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

  5. Add the chili pastes and wait for it to thicken. You will notice that the paste starts to separate from the oil.

  6. Add the bread and stock blend along with the evaporated milk and simmer until the volume has reduces by half. Stir every once in a while because it tends to stick to the bottom.

  7. Add the chicken and parmesan cheese and mix.

  8. Correct the level of salt and pepper and serve with rice, potatoes, olives and hard-boiled eggs.