Aji De Gallina (Peruvian Chicken Stew)

Source: Emma Duran



Antonio Rating:



This combination may seem strange but it's worth giving it a try. This traditional Peruvian chicken stew is served frequently in restaurants, and this recipe is very close to being exactly what you would get there. If you ate it in Peru you would get it with the sliced egg and whole kalamata olives on top, but if they would make the kids balk you can leave them off and just serve it over rice and/or potatoes. Oh, and give yourself lots of time - this is a Sunday afternoon kind of recipe, not a "come-home-from-work-and-whip-up-dinner" kind of recipe.



Ingredients
2 lb. Chicken Breast, bone-in
2 Onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
8 c. water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 loaf white bread
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
2 tsp. aji amarillo (hot yellow pepper paste) - more if you like spicy but be careful, it's hot!
2 tsp. turmeric

4-6 boiled yellow potatoes

2 eggs, hardboiled

16 whole kalamata olives



Directions
1. Boil chicken in water with 1 chopped onion, carrots, and 2 cloves of garlic for 30 min.
2. Strain stock and reserve for later.
3. Cool chicken then pull apart meat with your fingers into tiny pieces/strings.
4. Cube the loaf of bread, discarding the crusts.
5. Place bread, evaporated milk and 1/2 c. reserve stock in a blender and puree.
6. Add parmesan cheese and walnuts and blend.
7. Heat oil in a large saucepan.
8. Sautee remaining onion and garlic.
9. Add chicken pieces and aji amarillo and heat through.
10. Add cheese sauce and heat through again, stirring frequently.
11. Add as much stock as needed to make it creamy and smooth.
12. Simmer for 5-10 min.
13. Add turmeric at the end.
14. Serve over rice and yellow potatoes. Garnish with hard boiled egg slices and kalamata olives.