Aji de Gallina a Classic Peruvian Recipe

February 24, 2020 SouthAmerica

I am so excited to share this recipe on the blog. This dish is one of my husband’s favorite Peruvian dish. This recipe is an excellent proof of how tasty creole food is.

Also, this recipe is one of my mom’s specialties, her recipe comprises several steps, and that is just what it requires for this dish. I am excited to attempt this here. Mainly because all the ingredients are easy to be found here in Ecuador. Unlike the time when my mom and I tried to recreate this recipe in Colorado, which we did. The recipe was a success and was published on our book “Classic Peruvian Cooking.”

southamericatotheworld.com — Aji de gallina-Spice chicken in yellow pepper sauce

As the name on the recipe hints. This is a spicy recipe. But this could be easily adjusted to individual preferences. The recipe consists of boiled chicken, shredded and simmered in a yellow chili sauce. The sauce is thickened with bread soaked in milk, with a nutty flavor offered by some pecans. To finally be garnished with hard-boiled eggs and black olives. Served with rice or rice and potatoes.

This time in Ecuador, I didn’t like the way the sauce tasted. After several tries, I discovered that the yellow peppers had thicker skin and stronger flavor. I decided to boil them before blending them, and to this I added the garlic. To the rich yellow color that comes from the yellow peppers, I like to enhance it by adding turmeric powder.

Originally this dish was served over boiled yellow potatoes. In Peru we use potatoes as Mexicans use tortillas. On almost everything. Considering that, it would be healthier to choose only one type of carbs to control our carbohydrates intake. We are going with white rice only. Instead of having both. But, if you like to try the original recipe, at least once. Serve with yellow potatoes as a base, then you will pour the yellow chicken sauce with white rice as a side dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breasts

½ medium size white onion

1 garlic clove

3 yellow peppers

4 slices of white bread

1 tbsp. turmeric powder

Milk

1/3 cup of pecans finely minced

Parmesan cheese to taste

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Cooked yellow potatoes (if using)

To garnish:

Hard-boiled eggs

Black olives

Preparation:

Start by cooking the rice, boiling the eggs and the potatoes if using. Leave aside until it is time to serve.

Remove the crust from the bread slices and soaked them in enough milk to cover them.

Then cut the chicken breasts in quarters and cook in enough water with some salt. Once it is fully cooked, set the chicken breasts aside and let cool. Once cool, shred the chicken. Save the broth for the sauce.

In a medium-size pot add the yellow peppers and the garlic, cover with enough water and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and cook until the peppers are soft but not fully cooked. Removed them from the pot, let cool down to the touch, take the seeds out. Transfer to a blender along with the garlic, onion, add some chicken broth and blend.

In a sauce pan over medium heat add some olive oil, pour the yellow pepper sauce and cook for about 3 minutes. Blend the bread soaked in milk along with the pecans, add to the pan. Plus, the turmeric and the shredded chicken. Lower the temperature and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste and add the Parmesan cheese, plus some salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoy!